Trip's End
Jon Karlsson, an old friend & a lifelong fisherman in Djupivogur, East Iceland, offered to help me take Teddy there from Grindavik & to keep an eye on her for the winter. He did this once before, with Teddy wintering at Eskifjordur up the Eastfjords, and after that he sailed home to Ireland with me, just the two of us.
Djupivogur is a great harbour, at a very beautiful and unusual fjord not much visited by sailors. I have been here quite a few times and have developed some relationships here. I could not say no.
Jon drove across Iceland to Grindavik, a 6 hour drive, and left the car there. We set up Teddy for the trip - refuelling; tighten the mizzen stays so that we had two sails, the mizzen and the staysail; final clearance of the bowsprit wreckage. We motorsailed nonstop 48 hours and got in the day before yesterday, no hassle.
Djupivogur is a great harbour, at a very beautiful and unusual fjord not much visited by sailors. I have been here quite a few times and have developed some relationships here. I could not say no.
Jon drove across Iceland to Grindavik, a 6 hour drive, and left the car there. We set up Teddy for the trip - refuelling; tighten the mizzen stays so that we had two sails, the mizzen and the staysail; final clearance of the bowsprit wreckage. We motorsailed nonstop 48 hours and got in the day before yesterday, no hassle.
A nice evening on the way
Papey Island at the mouth of Djupivogur's fjord. A community of the ascetic Irish monks of St Brendan's time may have lived here.
One of the lighthouses off Djupivogur.
Djupivogur harbour
Coming in to the harbour. Shot by Jonina, Gudrunsdottir, Jon's wife
With Teddy in a safe home for the winter I can finally let my hair down.
Yesterday was my first full day of relaxation - and I found myself unable to function all day - no energy - virtually comatose - finally at evening I had the energy to wash a few clothes.
I could not relax - half exhausted, half wound up. A beer at the Hotel Framtid finally settled me
Today I enjoyed the sauna at the municipal pool.
The plan is to return to Djupivogur in late spring, do the relatively straightforward repairs to make her seaworthy for the trip to Ireland, and head home around June, probably via the Faeroes & the Outer Hebrides. Be a fun trip. Several people have expressed an interest in doing this with me, including Jon.
Another option is to ship her home - am waiting for a response from several shippers. Plenty of time to sort all this.
Am already talking with an old friend & a superb craftsman & sailor who has worked on Teddy twice before. My hope is that he will come to Clifden to do the permanent repairs.
This morning I made my to-do list in preparation for leaving Teddy for the winter, and for my return in late spring.
Soon I can book my flight home, from Reykjavik/Keflavik to Dublin.
It has been one helluva trip. Splendid.
As always, it is not the boat, nor the travels, not the lands reached, but the people who went with me, that makes the real heart of the trip.
Many thanks to those who helped me make this possible - Bob, Connor and Andre on the outgoing leg - Ruairi on the return leg - and Jon who was there at the end to help.
And now I end this blog.
Another option is to ship her home - am waiting for a response from several shippers. Plenty of time to sort all this.
Am already talking with an old friend & a superb craftsman & sailor who has worked on Teddy twice before. My hope is that he will come to Clifden to do the permanent repairs.
This morning I made my to-do list in preparation for leaving Teddy for the winter, and for my return in late spring.
Soon I can book my flight home, from Reykjavik/Keflavik to Dublin.
It has been one helluva trip. Splendid.
As always, it is not the boat, nor the travels, not the lands reached, but the people who went with me, that makes the real heart of the trip.
Many thanks to those who helped me make this possible - Bob, Connor and Andre on the outgoing leg - Ruairi on the return leg - and Jon who was there at the end to help.
And now I end this blog.
Jon enjoying one of his 20 cups of coffee a day
Teddy's winter home.
Djupivogur is such a great harbour . we made landfall there last year after an intense passage from ireland and had to make a few repairs. very friendly locals and they would go out of there way to help. I think we met Jon while there. Sorry to hear you have to winter there but its not a bad spot to do this !
ReplyDeleteOh yes, Peter, you would have met Jon. He loves to meet all sailboats visiting. He has helped me enormously on this visit.
DeleteNick, so glad to hear that this last part, a frustrating and tiring experience surely, went as well as could be expected and even better; your friend Jon sounds like manna from Heaven. When do you head back to Ireland, or perhaps you're back already. Again these photos show how extremely beautiful your Teddy is. Looks graceful wherever she's photographed!
ReplyDelete