Return from Greenland to Iceland

Two days ago we got back to Iceland, to Talknafjordur in the Westfjords.

The transit across the Denmark Strait took two days and was without drama. We left sailing true south with a good NE wind on the stern quarter, passed through the ice field of the East Greenland current, which was extremely diminished, and as the wind gradually died the next day we motored the rest of the way.

Greenland is intense. A wild chaos of powerful impressions that will take a while to process. Most of the visit was in total wilderness, the ice is always present, and there is always the possibility of running into a bear.

We went through Scoresbysund, rounded  Milne Land with its massive mountains lining the passage, anchored at various places and had many fantastic walks. The farthest inland we went from the mouth of the Sound was 130 NM, or 150 miles.

Then to Ittoqqotoormiit, a village of 350, the village farthest north up the east coast, and no communities to the south for 400 NM. This is an extremely remote location of largely hunters.

Then out of the Sound, south a bit along the coast, spending a few days at several protected locations along that wild and desolate coast of mountainous plunging into the sea.. 

I remain fatigued while the others are ready to move on. Tomorrow we head south, to visit several villages on the Snaefelness peninsula, halfway to Reykjavik.

I will write the next few posts on Greenland.