Sails set, 7 knots, on our way from the Faroe Islands to Iceland. Standing in the cockpit with a smile on my face, rechecking the chart that’s shown on a display. No kidding. „Rosengarten“, it says. German for rose garden. What a name for a piece of the North Atlantic. Sailing from the Faroe Islands to Iceland …
Read MoreSailboat Adventure Ahead. Route: Faroe Islands to Iceland
In the middle of getting ready for a sailing adventure. Moody 42 Center Cockpit Ketch. My friend Mike Henderson, sailing genius, is taking me along, with his beautiful sailboat Pangey. Tomorrow, I get on board, Wednesday we do a little sailing around the Faroes, and on Thursday, we start the crossing. Route: Faroes to Iceland, approximately two and a half days …
Read MoreThe Wow Factor: Approaching 5 Of The Smaller Islands
Summertime, and the livin' is easy; Fish are jumpin' and the colors are bright. Faroe Islands, characteristics of place such as fog and rain: let’s drop that for a moment. This time, everything’s about blue skies, lush green cliffs and smooth passages. Approaching 5 of the smaller islands in picture-perfect weather …
Read MoreBirgir Enni, Captain of the Norðlýsið: A Faroese Institution
Person or institution? In this particular case: both. Tórshavn, the port promenade undir Bryggjubakka next to Tinganes. Alongside the quay: colorful houses and all kinds of boats, including the majestic schooner Norðlýsið, just back from the dry dock. On deck: the person and institution I’m talking about. Skipper Birgir Enni …
Read MoreNightcap on Norröna
I saw the twinkling silhouette of Tórshavn embracing a shadow ship harbor under a black velvet sky. Nightcap on Norröna. As I was promenading on the deserted upper decks, a sea breeze sprang up. Inside: Dim light staging the ferry’s evening gown. The belle of the ball, ready for another waltz across the ocean …
Read MoreThe nasty hobgoblin of Vágseiði
Rough sea, surrounded by steep cliffs, daylight begins to fade. Suðuroy, the southernmost of the Faroe Islands, Vágseiði on the west coast. How did I get here? Ferry route 7, ship M/F Smyril, from Tórshavn to Tvøroyri. Smooth passage? Not invariably the case, especially in the fall and in the dead of winter …
Read MoreBeing shipwrecked: Reflection, rescue and reward
One rope, two vessels and a comforting sound. Chug-chug. A marine engine, lively doing its job. Our engine – the exact opposite. Stubbornly silent. Out of order. As quiet as a mouse. The bad news: We are shipwrecked. Disabled and adrift. Powerless. For hours. The good news: Our ship, the M/B Irdi, just has been taken in tow, by the Susanna …
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