Arctic tern (Icelandic: Kria) eggs in black volcanic sand, Djupivogur. Close up of same. Note the grains of sand blowing across the eggs. Photos by Ashleigh Wilson
Grilling Arctic char and loon/diver. (The diver got caught in a net set for char.) The meat of the diver was superb. Turner Island, just south of the entrance to Scoresbysund Dryas octopetala Hot water spring. This is about 5 feet in diameter. The red boat is La Belle Epoque, owned by the Austrians Jurgen and Klaudia Kirchburger. Ther circumnavigated the Americas, did the Northwest Passage, wintered over in a remote location in west Greenland on this boat, spent time in South Chile, Tierra del Fuego, the Antarctic, and South Georgia. Check out their website: fortgeblasen I met them 10 years ago in S Iceland & we stayed in touch. We got very close. Minor ice field offshore. We sailed to where the ice had cleared, according to the continually updated Danish ice charts available online, and we did not encounter any major icefields.
Jonathan & I left Grindavik the 6th September, and got in to Clifden on the 15th. That is 9 days out & 700 nautical miles (850 land miles) - slow. The winds were largely poor. Off Iceland the wind died, and we drifted waiting for it to return. Then in the remains of a hurricane blowing straight from Ireland - for us just under a gale - we hove to. Then the last 3 days a breeze from dead astern, with a relatively large sea - necessitating taking turns steering: for a break late each night we hove to to sleep. A great many dolphins at sea, drawn to the sailing ship. A school of pilot whales. A big pod of rorquals, probably fins - perhaps 20 - spouting in the distance. Also a pod of the large type of dolphins welcoming us off the White Lady & escorting us well into Clifden Bay. I had never seen this type so playful and so frolicksome. Jonathan thoroughly enjoyed himself. What a pleasure it is to travel with someone who is appreciative and thankful. My Austrian frien...
Wishing you safe travels and fair winds. I hope to keep up to date through the blog here in Dublin.
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