Iceland put on it's best show for our departure. Brilliant sunshine, temperatures in the teens, rolling mountains and sandy bays. At first even the seas were flat but that was soon to change.
Off the headland the north easterly swell met the Icelandic coastal current kicking off a confused set of steep sided waves. With no wind Shimshal wallowed and rolled. Then a local magnetic anomaly deceived our steering compass as happens frequently in Iceland.
We wallowed on until the north easterly breeze filled in when we hoisted the genoa and turned off the engine. The breeze built but did not dampen the motion so we swayed off into the setting sun until the magnets sorted themselves out and the steering went back on.
For the last 24 hours we have been yawing and rolling downwind in 2.8m seas under headsail alone maintaining 6kn with no fear of an accidental gybe. But now the grey seas have turned to blue as has the sky and the late afternoon sun is bathing the saloon. The swell is gradually diminishing and the motion improving. All's well on Shimshal.
Off the headland the north easterly swell met the Icelandic coastal current kicking off a confused set of steep sided waves. With no wind Shimshal wallowed and rolled. Then a local magnetic anomaly deceived our steering compass as happens frequently in Iceland.
We wallowed on until the north easterly breeze filled in when we hoisted the genoa and turned off the engine. The breeze built but did not dampen the motion so we swayed off into the setting sun until the magnets sorted themselves out and the steering went back on.
For the last 24 hours we have been yawing and rolling downwind in 2.8m seas under headsail alone maintaining 6kn with no fear of an accidental gybe. But now the grey seas have turned to blue as has the sky and the late afternoon sun is bathing the saloon. The swell is gradually diminishing and the motion improving. All's well on Shimshal.