An offshore and storm training in Iceland

Northern yachting routes are becoming more and more popular every year and have already taken their place in the “must-sail” lists of many yachtsmen.

These routes are much more interesting, and the landscapes, marine life, and navigation are much more diverse than in the southern yachting regions.

The main objective of this training is to prepare yachtsmen for navigation in the conditions of the extreme north with all its specifics. Another goal is to feel the charms of northern sailing.

The offshore yachting training route in Iceland begins and ends in Reykjavik. The choice of the final route depends on the last weather forecast that we will receive before leaving.

The plan:

From Reykjavik, we will sail to the north through Faxaflói and Breidafjörður and slow down a bit in the fjords of Vestfirðir. Then we’ll sail into the North coast, and, if possible, past the herd of whales to reach Grimsay (where we will see a million puffins, other birds, seals, and an 11th-century wooden church) or even Húsavík. On our way back, we will study Vestfirðir and/or Breidafjörður.

The total length of the route is 700nm: it will take us 6 days to sail there and 8 days to come back.

Icelandic yachting training program:

A. Navigation

We will sail a lot between the rocks, will work with different depths, as in this water area there are many shallows and underwater rocks. We expect a lot of practical blind navigation in a real fog among the rocks and rocky shores. We will take turns creating a crossing plan every day. We will not navigate looking at the chart plotter and GPS!

B. Yacht and sail management

There will be many days with good fresh wind. So, we will have enough storm sailing training and practice.

B. Offshore crossings

During the crossing there will be several offshore (when the coast is not visible or not visible enough to determine its location) crossings longer than 60nm:

• From Reykjavik to one of the ports of Cape Snæfellsjökull (via Faxaflói).
• From Cape Snæfellsjökull to Vestfirðir (via Breidafjörður ‘).
• Sailing along Vestfirdir might also be offshore.
• From Vestfirðir to Grimsay.