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| High cliffs and peculiar formations, typical for the Faeroe Islands. The photo is taken at about 3 at night. |
During June 2016, I sailed from the chilly faraway islands of Faeroe to the country of Iceland. I came along Mae West, the same steel ketch that I sailed from Norway to Svalbard during 2015.
First jump-off point was Western Faroe Islands, Sørvagur. It was great to see the boat again. Two of my friends agreed to come along to this sailing, and I was very happy to see them. Daniel had previously sailed with me in Scotland years ago, when I set out to sail around the world. Sebastian had just done a little sailing, but with good determination and happy spirits it's possible to sail the high seas even if you're a beginner!
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| Landskape reminds a bit of the bird cliffs in Svalbard, but greener. |
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| Fermented lamb from Faeroe islands. |
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| The islets on the approach to Mykines |
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| The very same islets, IRL |
Mykines with its lighthouse is the Westernmost isle of Faeroes. The Atlantic Bridge is also the Westernmost bridge structure. About a million of puffins live here. The sheep and puffins were ever-present. The dramatic panoramic views likewise.
There was a great deal of walking, as I took the crew to the top of the nearby mountain. Then, we descended and went to the puffin areas, across the Bridge, and to the lighthouse. It was a day's walking trip, very much enjoyed.
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| Faeroe Mykines lighthouse in the background. Ready to set sail to Iceland. |
We set sail from Sørvagur to Eiđe, Northern part of Faroe islands. That was to be our jump-off point for the Iceland leg. The Faroe family came along to Eiđe.
The weather was extremely warm that summer, causing a water shortage at parts of the islands. On the way to Northern Faeroes we experienced a little bit of sun, but mostly clouds, fog, and dramatic rocks.
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| Northern Faroes |
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| Northern Faroes |
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| Northern Faroes |
While in Eiđe, some mast maintenance was to be made. The crew that had not sailed with Mae West were to do some training, while I got some time off and went to climb the highest mountain in Faeroes, Slættaratindur.
When I came back, we were all ready to set sails. We were setting off to the North Atlantic, to a crossing that was going to take at least 3 days. Weather is always unstable there, as low pressures are brewing in the vicinity. There was a low pressure area coming in just after 4 days, with gale winds that were going to hit the South coast of Iceland, so we were in a hurry.
As we moved away from the Faeroes, the waves were picking up. See the next post for the Iceland arrival.