We arrived here at 10 pm last night after good
downwind sail.
Sun and wind, I could get used to that, but does it
prepare Helgur and Sigrit for Greenland?
We tied up on a pontoon among the little
fishing boats as usual. Another free harbour with a free power supply by
our bow.
The small icelandic fishing boats are very
distinctive, 20 to 30 foot long fibreglass boats with either single
lines on powered reels, or long line equipment with many hooks that are
laid for a few hours close to the bottom. That these fishing boats are glassfibre is reassuring, as there is
ice around the fjords in the winter.
There was a seal lying on the slip opposite,
that we were told it was not a local one. They have large and small ones
here, but this was sick and from Greenland. It swam away when we tried to
approach.
Older fishing boats were rowed and are
heavier with a flatter sheer than the Scandinavian type.
Very few are around, this was one,
although with an engine and smaller than the pictures in the many
museums.
In the background is a near
universal ex-RNLI lifeboat.
These all seem to be second hand boats and
often we are told where they were in Britain.
Patreksfjordur is greyer than the Isafjordur area. The distant
hills seem to go go down into the sea with neither the green valley area below
nor the snow on top.
The village itself is green and cheerful with art on the walls, as
often found.
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