{"id":60924,"date":"2025-08-21T15:10:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T19:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=60924"},"modified":"2025-08-21T16:29:50","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T20:29:50","slug":"iceland-a-summer-of-sailing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/people\/iceland-a-summer-of-sailing\/","title":{"rendered":"Around Iceland: A Summer of Sailing in the Cold North"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Diny <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n A highlight on the west coast is the Dinyandi waterfall, which is hidden at the end of a deep fjord. <\/span>\n Courtesy Ingrid & Robert Schnabl<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Editor’s Note: <\/strong>This reader-submitted report shares a firsthand cruising adventure around Iceland. We welcome your stories too\u2014every trip, big or small, adds to the cruising conversation and sparks ideas for fellow sailors.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After six days crossing the North Sea, green mountain peaks rose from the horizon, jagged and lush against a sky of shifting clouds. It was early June, and aboard Stravanza<\/em>, we were bound for Iceland. But the land looming ahead was not yet Iceland\u2014it was the Faroe Islands. Even from a distance, the islands\u2019 dramatic cliffs hinted at the adventures awaiting us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fascinating Stopover in the Faroe Islands<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Faroes demanded attention. Sailing past would have been unthinkable. T\u00f3rshavn, the capital, welcomed us with sunshine and a quiet bustle of boats in the harbor. A floating dock in the heart of town became our temporary home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We walked along narrow streets, past colorful, grass-roofed houses, bright red churches, and small fishing boats swaying in the fjord. The air carried a crisp, briny scent, and the landscape impressed with sheer vertical cliffs plunging into the sea. Every corner invited lingering glances. The Faroes made an immediate and lasting impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Battlefield<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In Kv\u00edv\u00edk, a sobering scene greeted us. One hundred eighty-seven pilot whales lay on the shore in front of the church, some already dismembered. At first, the sight shocked us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locals approached us kindly, explaining the centuries-old practice of pilot whaling. Meat was salted or frozen and distributed to families according to a traditional formula. Each villager processed \u201ctheir\u201d whale. Knowing this did not erase the starkness of the scene\u2014blood and carcasses remained\u2014but it provided context and a deeper understanding of a practice rooted in survival and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Football Defeats and a Crossing to Iceland<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Every village had a pristine football pitch, a reminder of Austria\u2019s famous 1990 loss to the Faroes\u2019 young national team. Islanders still celebrated that first away victory in song. As Austrians, we exchanged amused smiles when our origin came up. The memory of that match lingered across decades and oceans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Ingrid <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Ingrid at the helm, taking in the views.<\/span>\n Courtesy Ingrid & Robert Schnabl<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

The weather finally aligned for our crossing to Iceland. For two days and nights, we rocked gently on aft winds, accompanied only by seabirds. Not a single vessel appeared on AIS, and VHF remained silent. The sun barely slipped below the horizon, bathing the sea in perpetual twilight. Stravanza<\/em> felt suspended in a world of our own making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our handmade cockpit enclosure proved invaluable, shielding us from the cold while allowing full view of the rolling waves. Nights were long, but comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dramatic Landfall<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Two miles from shore, the fog lifted, revealing Iceland in full drama: snow-dusted mountains and emerald slopes rose steeply from the water. Waterfalls tumbled from cliffs on either side as puffins darted near our bow. The fjord embraced us with a mixture of awe and serenity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n