Iskafjord to Sudureyi

Umiak
Mike Jaques
Sat 16 Jul 2022 11:59
66:07.9N 23:31.8W

Our depleted crew of Mike myself Derek and Paul headed off with the intention of a long passage, but within a few minutes, we were down to 3 reefs and the staysail in a blustery 30 knots with the usual crashing of cutlery plates books as each wave was mounted. It became clear that a day of misery was in prospect and our disappointing tacking angles led rapidly to the decision to put into Suderyi, where it is fabled in the RCC Arctic pilot , halibut is the fish to be had. Anyway cod and chips was our supper in the one and only cafe , washed own with surprisingly inexpensive Icelandic lager, apparently we had just made the cut for happy hour. Locals and tourists were the clientele, and a surprising number of North American’s , either from US or Canada.
Locals do not appear in their physiognomy to be very Skandi, and the image of a red headed Viking or Valkyrie remains very much in the imagination.
Of Icelandic fishing villages, not very much can be written although neatness does seem to be the domestic order of the day. Large sheds are universal, a high street with perhaps one cafe, a youth or two dangling a fishing line, and a simple Saxon looking church. The state church in Iceland is Lutheran, Catholicism being abandoned in 1650 or so but no civil war. Interestingly Heathenry a Germanic folk religion has an increasing number of advocates. I suppose it’s something else to do on a long winter evening besides carving chessmen and Scrimshaw.

Gareth Thomas 07834340253=