Ep 40 Sailling Solo Iceland's Western Fjords
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 เม.ย. 2019
- I sail solo Iceland's Western coast to explore its fjords. I discuss boom brakes vs preventers; mooring against harbor walls with tires; diesel fuel pre-filters; and the challenge of vastly varying winds in the fjords.
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I’m surprised a television series hasn’t picked you up yet! Truly a pleasure to watch. Thank you for sharing your adventures and sailing knowledge with us. Looking forward to your next journey. All the best from Chicago!
+1 on the TV series
Nice comment :)
and another one here from Chicago , fantastic channel ..I like that there are practically no other boats in the area, great exploration
I am another one from Chicago... A sailing channel that actually does sailing videos... Good job as usual!
“...but those two schools don’t talk to each other.” 😂. Another great show and again very educational.
Oh my goodness! Singlehanded you are a pro. Amazing to be so far north in such Norsman territory with the waves, winds and kelp all creating challenges! Nice to be greeted by even a stranger in such elements!
wow the opening moment looks amazing, love to see reefs in the background, rollers in front the boat... Nice downwind run! Ze best! What a feeling it is... thanks for the bringing salty air in my office :) and taking the road less traveled ....
There is a company called Aere Fenders, in Coral Springs , Florida. The make some really big inflatable fenders...They custom make any size, and when deflated stow pretty well. I have used them on big tide range places with pilings and tires... Fair Winds!!!
My grandfather used to sail small dingies every other day in a small marina in his home town in northern England.
Bimonthly he'd go up to the lake district or Scotland with his children and wife and would sometimes hire a boat when he got there and take his 2 sons and 2 daughters sailing.
I wish I could have met him and sailed with him but he died a decade before I was born.
You and your videos help connect me to my grandfather, even though I never met him.
You made my day Lilly. Many thanks.
When you get in to one of those tidal ports, try to find a more or less abandoned vessel to moor at. Worked great for me previously.
Yeah --- it's always a bit of a challenge to raft-up to another baot when I am solo, especially a high-sided fishing boat, but I agree, that is the most restful option (no tides to worry about, or tires).
Enjoyed your video massively as usual. I am totally anti preventers. We were in a Round the Isle of Wight race in a very beamy boat running far too fast under spinnaker and preventer on the boom. A wave picked up the stern, the rudder stalled, the boat broached, the boom tried to come over but was now pinned up in the air and we were now pinned into the water by a boom we couldn’t release ... 1. where we had cleated it off was under water, 2 the pressure on it. The water was up to the windows and we the crew were in danger of literally dropping off the boat. Other out of control boats were missing us by feet. The wind had just got stronger and stronger then off St Catherine’s ... bam!! Used a knife to cut the line, dropped the kite and were going just as fast under jib and main. And in control. Phew. Now a boring announcement 🤪 Just a word of warning ... not regarding winds, tides, navigation or interesting stuff 🤪. I heard your radio on in the background... one of the other TH-cam channels I watch have just received what I think TH-cam call a strike because their algorithms (?) can pick the music up and then you’re into all sorts of copyright concerns. In fact a guy I follow (Techmoan) got hit for just 4 seconds of infraction! Take care out there sailing. Take care not to upset YT 👍
it really all comes down to the comfort level with either the boom brake or the preventer. They can accomplish the same if used properly. Reefing is the most important skill for sail handling. Flying a spinnaker in the weather you described was a bit adventurous. That, too, comes down to a comfort level and risks involved when winds don't follow our wishes.
@@Worldtraveler75 Well, racing yachts tend to push it to the max and often blow out spinnakers. However racing with a preventer while pushing the boat hard was probably a mistake. Also, boat design/type will dictate how it behaves when caught in an accidental gype like the one that S Jay describes above. I sailed across Bisacy last year and we frequently had a preventer on but we were cruising with safety over speed in mind so it was never a problem. Plus, she's a heavy cruising yacht and we were careful about how much canvas we flew. Having said that, you never know what's going to get thrown at you so you want to be able to get that preventer released very quickly.
Thanks so much for taking the trouble to share all this Patrick; so good, what an adventure!
I sold my boat a couple of months ago but this is the next best thing.
I have to say I was slightly concerned for you around 15 mins in as you clambered over the tyres onto the dock with the gap slowly opening. It's that "do I go back or press on?" moment :)
Thanks for this new episode, love it!
Inspirational as always Patrick, informative and a pleasure to view. For me, the most relevant sailing channel. Thank you for sharing this latest adventure with us.
I loved and smiled at the seagull cameo at 14:08. :D
Cameo? He photo-bombed me! ;-)
Hi Patrick, thanks for a great video series. I love the photography, your easy-going and informative commentary and of course the cruising tips.
Here’s a suggestion for your stanchion/tyre problem: take a length, say 1 to 2 metres of PVC pipe, split it along its length and clip it over the stanchions and wire that are at risk of catching. This might be enough to fend the boat off the tires at the moment when the stanchion tips are most likely to hook up.
Looking forward as ever to your next submission. Safe travels. Angus.
Thanks Angus. I like that, but would really prefer a solution where the stanchions do not have any side pressure against them. I don't want them bent or loosened. My life may depend on them some day. I think I'll go with some enormous fenders (next time).
Thanks for a wonderful video Patrick. My solution to quay wall tires is to tie a tight line to the ladder rungs from high water to as low as you can get to try and encompass the tidal range. This line runs through a large block the becket of which is tied to the midships cleat with a very short line. This arrangement allows the boat to travel up and down with the tide and yet only move laterally by a few inches. This allows fenders to remain in a consistent position on the tyre walls. This in practice is easier than it sounds to set up and works really well. Enjoy Iceland!
Solution for tyres is teardrop fenders. Carry two deflated and pump them up and use them when you are alongside tyres.
Not sure what a teardrop fender is Paul. You mean those very large (1 meter) diameter fenders?
Like these fenders www.theboatwarehouse.com.au/anchors-chain-fenders-buoys-mooring/fender-accessories/inflatable-teardrop-fenders/?sku=RWB-1565&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoufbrI_64QIVwg0rCh2KiwriEAQYASABEgK2bPD_BwE. Apologies for the link but could work out how to send you a picture on yt
Patrick, another super video! Thanks so much again. Keep up the good work.
Great as usual! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Patrick for your wonderful series.
The quality of.fuel is directly related to the volume a marina sells. Fuel that sets in storage tanks build condensation that grows Algae ! Always try to buy fuel in large Marinas that rotate more fuel quicker.
Agree. Don't always have a choice when on a long trip like this....... I also use a chemcial treatment. Though the pre-filter had some build-up, the main filters were pristine when I changed them just prior to depating on this passage.
Patrick Laine wonderful!
Remember that treatment like Algaecide only kills the Algae which then settles to the bottom as water.
Your Fuel tank should have a sump designed specifically to collect this water. Most all Sumps have a means to do a controlled drain off of the water much like the drain on a wing tank. If you don’t drain the sump agitation from sailing will redistribute the water.
I am an ASE master diesel tec retired. Love your adventures.
I stumbled onto your videos a few days ago and must admit that I'm really enjoying them. Thanks.
I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Thank you for posting and fair winds to you.
Your channel is precious. Thank you so much.
Cdr,
Another great video!
The cool weather looks so nice!
R/
Tim
Glad you enjoyed it! I may well return. It was a great adventure.
A great adventure to watch. Thank you
Love watching you dock. I think I learn a bit by watching others.
Wonderful and beautiful, as always, P. My vicarious vacation for the day!! Keep'em coming, mon capitaine!
Fantastic, again I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and your voyage
Sir, you are a true sailor. Amazing journey and thank you for sharing.
Really enjoying your adventures! Thanks!
Great kayak. Fun thing to have aboard. Congratulations on yet another wonderful video. Many thanks for sharing.
Two thumbs up! Those looked like Orcas to me. The males have the tall dorsals, the females have dolphin shaped fins. I think those fjord winds are katabatic. They come down off of high bluffs. I remember those in Newfoundland. You could have ten knots gradient wind and get in the lee of a cliff and see 50knots.
Thanks Kevin. Yeah, I had a real surprise from a couple of those blasts. I now systematically have at least 1 reef in while in the fjords…….it helps avoid that mad scramble for the main sheet. Good fun though! (Others have confirmed the Orcas. It was dumb of me to suggest dolphins playing with Orcas. ;-)
Thanks again. Saw c you released it while i was working. Watched it as soon as made it home. Packed with great info again
Hi Patrick, another fantastic video! They are definitely Orcas. The taller almost straight dorsal fins belong to the adult males and the smaller ones are females and calves. Our log is clogged again! Someone suggested silicone spray on the paddles which doesn’t work. Looks like we are pulling the log out again. Fair winds and following seas!
My log is consistently showing abot 1.5 kts too slow, no mater which direction I am facing (with respect t the current). I think they make new ones now that don't use that darn spinning wheel
I've never gotten ours to work on either of our boats, we just go off SOG from the GPS now. Like bilge pump float switches it's a technology that could do with some rapid improvements.
Thank you Patrick, keep this videos coming please!
Another great passage Patrick !, thanks for sharing! . I would love to see some more minutes of Isabelle just going through the water or just those amazing landscapes. Cheers!
Thanks Patrick! I've been checking every day for the past five days for this latest video! Have fun!
I love your videos! Keep'em coming!
Merci Patrick pour cette superbe vidéo. Vous nous donnez l'impression que c'est tellement facile mais quand on voit la mer et que l'on entend le vent on comprend qu'il faut être un très bon marin. Bon vent en attendant la suite de vos aventures.
Trop gentil Guillaume. Merci.
Thanks for sharing
What an amazing trip Patrick ! Enjoyed every minute of it! You will learn quite a bit of windy sailing I’m sure!! Fair winds !! Cheers
Watching your videos I have learnt a tremendous amount just need the nerve to go far in my little Moody S31 thanks for sharing Patrick look forward to the next one.
I am so impressed that you sail the bigger sailboat singlehanded. It encourages me to sail mine solo. Thank you for the videos.
Iceland is on my bucket list. It looks as good as I would have hoped. So great to arrive by your yacht , Isabelle. Thanks as ever for sharing your journey Patrick .
Christine 😊
Brilliant as always Patrick - and the scenery is wonderful. Well done for managing in those conditions (and rather ironically we just posted about our boom PREVENTER - you must have read our minds). Good luck for the Arctic Circle!
Gosh I miss Iceland. Spectacular. What an adventure-- I need to do this myself someday.
Thanks for sharing the Arctic Adventure excellent video!
Cheers from 🇺🇾☘️👍
PATRICK, your videos are so informative and amazing. Your one if my favorite channels. I want to sail but my wife does not like being on the ocean. You give me inspiration to be a solo sailor in 10 years. Thank you so much.
Lee
Many thanks Lee. I know the problem about wives that don't enjoy homes that lean when the wind blows. :-) Fair winds.
There are few more magnificent shows than watching her sailboat at anchor with a beautiful sun and a nice landscape, all at the water's edge, a little distant with the tender :-)
Really interesting, Patrick. Struck by the lack of comfort, cold, not so much sleep, winds - austere like the landscape. Well done. Thanks for sharing.
Your greatest asset is your ability to maintain a calm demeanor in some very tough situations .... a real pro and enjoyable to watch 👍
I edited out the parts where I am screaming in terror. :-) Thanks for watching.
Thank you for the update, I was waiting for this tripreport since I saw you approaching Akranes on the 20th. Fair winds.
Great video. I always learn something
Another great film Patrick. Those were definitely Orca. The mature males have the tall blade fin while the females and juveniles have a smaller and more dolphin like sickle shaped fin.
Lying alongside piles and tires , sometimes a tactic to lay a kedge offshore, you can arrange a bridle - stoppered to the cable to pull the boat out parallel to the berth and lie slightly off. Not always feasible if steeply shelving or lots of traffic. Also a bit of a faff but is has worked for me in similar situations .
Fair winds !
Agreed, those are male and female orca.
Thanks on the whales. It was a bit dumb of me to suggest dolphins and Orcas swiming together. ;-)
@@patricklaine6958 Dolphins around Orcas, not really, unless they want to become dinner...LOL
When I say something dumb like that, just think, "Well, he's not slept in 24 hours." :-)
Cheers Patrick, brilliant film of your voyage. It’s an amazing country great to view it from a sea ward perspective. Good seaman ship and boat handling...........well done 👍
Very kind of you Jason. Many thanks.
A wonderful 39 minute video -- I watched it twice! Thank you once more for letting me visit Iceland, a place where otherwise I would never been able so explore.
Ha! Thanks for the feedback Robert!
Love your videos. In case all that hazzle with the dement idiot in the WH and Covid gets too much there's always the option to take a breath of fresh air and get grounded again on the open ocean 😂 with Patrick Laine. Thank you so much for what you are doing❣️
Very kind of you. I'm going a bit crazy too ---- and very eager to get back out into blue water. Thanks for watching.
Thank you Patrick for showing these beautiful landscapes and sharing all the challenging situations and experiences that a solo sailor has to cope with : from tyres to kelp as well as boom brake :-) Enjoy !
Many thanks Dominique.
Great video Patrick. So interesting and enjoyable. Keep them coming please.
Thanks for the feedback Michael.
Quite the adventure! You are an expert solo sailor - right up there with Erik and Keith (you know who I mean). Fair winds!
Thank you sir! Keep up the good work 🙂
Patrick, your ability to convincingly pronounce anything Icelandic or anywhere else in the world is as impressive as your adventurous spirit. Thanks for sharing the trip!
In the next video, I apologize profusely to the good people of Iceland for my mangled pronunciation. :-) Best to you my friend.
What a great video.Must be cold. I found your description of your sailing techniques and weather explanations so helpful. Pretty amazing !!!!
Many thanks Crystal.
another excellent adventure. thank you patrick!! (and kudos to your icelandic pronunciations).
I like this sailing school! Thank you, teacher Patrick.
Thanks André, but I am a very unqualified instructor. I'm sure the pros groan at half of my practices --- so please be sure to get formal training as well to be safe. :-)
@@patricklaine6958
A good teacher is one who recognizes his abilities, right? I had an instructor at the naval school who said, "My mission is to make you not only better officers than I, better men than I am." Your videos are a marvel, and always with a little humor. Thanks for sharing.
Have you ever seen a steering damper that is used in motorcycle races? It prevents a high speed wabble while also giving full steering capabilities to the operator. I believe this device could be overbuilt to accommodate the spuratic travel of the boom as to allow nature to do it's diligence while controlling the travel speed for obvious safety concerns. Just a thought from an engineer 🤙
Wow Great place to sail. Sorry, can't help you with the tire problem. That's a tough one.
I like that boom brake sounds like the way to go for me.
That is awesome country to sail around.I'm already waiting for your next passage . Fair winds !
Veni vidi vici ;-)
Another great video Patrick. Nice of them to name a fjord after you...
Fair winds ,,,,,,,,/),,,,,,,,,,
I was very touched by that! :-)
Ha ha.....
Good to see you are doing well !
You re very welcome here Sir , enjoy and take care ! I admire your courage :)
Very kind of you Astrid.
Very impressed indeed! Great commentary from a brilliant sailor. In 1967 I sailed up there in a Laurent Giles Vertue and although it looks a lot more civilised, the weather hasn't changed!
I can attest to the fact that the weather is, well, 'challenging'. Cold and windy, and cold and windy. :-)
Great adventure, thank you for sharing!
Thanks for commenting Olafur. Much appreciated.
Hi Patrick
As informative and inspiring as ever, thanks for sharing.
One further point in the gybe tammer / preventer conversation. These are most useful in a blow with a following sea when the boat and sails are at their most unstable. In situations like this it's quite possible that the boom could hit the water, or at least it is in the small coastal cruiser racers that I sail, and then the loads on a preventer will go up enormously. Plus when sailing downwind in a dinghy the good sailors learn to let the boat gybe if it wants to, its the poor sailors that try to save the gybe that end up capsizing. So any way I have never used a tammer but i think if I were in your position they would be my first choice. Have fun and be safe
Agree with all (completely). I have very good friends (who are very experienced sailors) who swear by the Preventer ---- but for the reasons you mention, I prefer to let the boom come across if the unplanned happens --- so I prefer to use the 'Brake'. That said, I respect their choice -- they are great sailors. I just have a different preference.
When I was in the scillys the harbour master was good enough to offer some very large fender buoys to keep me out from the quay wall. Worked great. Loved the video. Thank you.
Thanks Finbbarr ---- it seems others are suggesting the same solution. I'll look into it (but too late for this trip). :-(
Thanks Patrick for yet another interesting voyage your presentation manner is a pleasure - understated but refined. My friend I would strongly recommend use of your safety harness and line when on deck and reaching for buoys. Regards
I hear you.......it's a tough call. I'm not too concerned about it when reaching for buoys or docking, as the boat speed is very slow then and sails usually down. The most dangerous maneuver I do is launching the spinnaker with no tether line attached. I just need to move around too much, and quickly, when handling the spinnaker -- as it can be a very dangerous sail if not properly controlled. A risk yes,.....but calculated....and I am never more aware of the danger than when I am handling the spinnaker (so am more careful about holding onto a shroud line, etc.). Risk is relative after all. I used to land jets on aircraft carriers at night. ;-)
The best solution for tying up against tyres is big (think ‘super yacht’ big) inflatable fenders. A couple of those tied horizontally, with lines at both ends of the fender, will keep you off the wall and won’t get snagged inside a tyre.
Others have sugested the same thing Kristoff. I'd want to be able to store the fender though (delfated). I'll look into it.
Very nice video, perfect !
Great tyre climbing technique Patrick! Be safe and fair winds!
When I aim for the wall, I always look at the ladder that goes up, but by the time the boat is stopped and I grab the lines, I end up climbing the tires istead of the ladder. :-) Good exercise!
Another great episode Patrick, thank you. I can't wait to get back to Iceland at some point it's such a great place, other worldly would be the only thing I could say !!
It is certainly a rugged, barren landscape -- though a spectacular carving by the ice millions of year ago. Thaks for commenting.
That looks like some fun, at-times challenging sailing. I bet you're having a blast.
You guessed right. :-)
Fantastic video Patrick, I was in Iceland in January & it blew me away with it’s beauty. It’s looking like a great adventure, certainly one I would like to do in a few years time. Looking forwards to your next instalment. Safe seas ahead...
Many thnaks Simon.
happy sailing, awesome journey
This is brilliant stuff!
Very kind of you Capn. Many thanks.
Patrick - Bravo, I always enjoy your films. Candour, honesty and humility.👍 On the fuel prefilters - to be honest the Racor can handle that stuff easily BUT the one benefit of putting the prefilters where you have is that it is keeping your pipework clean.👍
Exactly ---- and the plugged hose was the cause of my previous engine failure. I should have made that clearer. Love the Racors with see-through bowl too.
Calm and competent. Watch many sailing channels! Love your tutorials.
Thanks for the kind feedback Russ.
I must say, I love your videos
Very kind of you --- many thanks.
Stunning locations! Those fjords, especially the carved cliff faces are awe inspiring and also a bit humbling. Too bad it looks so damn cold there but then again that's just me having suffered through an interminably long winter here....
Thanks for sharing!
I wish my camera skills/equipment were up tot he challenge. It is spectacular.
Thanks for another fascinating video... Safe travels
Many thanks Gary.
Less than ideal conditions for video filming, but that makes it more real! Great to see the pod of Orca.....keep an eye out for Vikings!! Chapeau Patrick - stay warm!!
You are just doing the Top sailing videos in TH-cam .. just love it ... together with Eric Aanderaa from Norway channel ... always eager for the next one to come
I'm a big fan of Erik too Miguel. Thanks for the kind words.
Absolutely brilliant ... ⛵️
Many thanks. I see you have put up a solo video. Unfortunately, it will be a while before I can watch it due to limited wifi in almost every port of Iceland. It's hard to watch videos in a coffee shop. :-) Best to you.
Stay safe⛵️
Hi Patrick, thanks for this wonderful new video. It's great. I've been to Iceland before but the sea is quite rough. For your filter issue try having a look at Separ filters. I am using them for some time now. You can flush 'em easily and adjust your mesh size. Have fun and a safe trip back.
Thanks, I'll look into the Separ filters. That said, the one I showed only coast €7, so I don't mind throwing it away. I like the mesh adjustment concept though. Thanks.
Patrick, you're an inspiration, keep up the good work 😎
On another note Iceland is an amazing land. I lived in Keflavik for a year, regularly driving to Reykjavik and explored the island driving up the west coast several times.
It's easy to completely forget about important things if you spend too long admiring the view!
Thank you Patrick, great series! Cant wait to set sail too!
I actually deleted a brief sequence about Keflavik. It used to be a US base where a lot of anti-submarine patrolling was done from. I have many friends who flew from there during the 'Cold War' with the USSR.
such an inspiration
Hi Patrick, I’ve recently joined and am very inspired by your videos and adventures . I have been in Biscay with 60 kts so have tiny understanding of your prevails . I’m also a retired aviator and you’ve really got me searching for a boat down here in Australia, wishing you fair winds . Cheers Bob ( Gold Coast) Australia
Many thanks Bob. Descend and maintain 8 feet, slow to 6 knots, and squawk VFR.
Patrick Laine, will do Captain! All of a sudden 6kts is fast enough . Adieu!
Sorry very quickly who was the chap you recommended with a blog around the world . Thanks
I'm very impressed with your ability to pronounce those names so well... Many of those are tongue twisters...
I never understood why locations that have such large tidel ranges don't have more floating docks attached to their piers.... If they had a decent Anchorage I would rather use that rather than worry about those tires ripping my boat apart..
Such a stunning landscape what an adventure you are having. As for the tires , a friend who regularly goes through the crinen canal in the Clyde uses a length of plastic pipe with a tarpaulin suspended to protect the boat from sludge and snags .
Fair winds as you head north - a phantom shipmate
Thanks Richard. Yes, I have seen that set-up before. I'll give it some thought.
Patrick: Wow! Intriguing to watch. I lived in Norway for many years and it is heart tugging to watch. BTW: en.verdur.is does not resolve (DNS) but Googling Islandic weather provides navigation. Strange but enjoyes imensely nonetheless. And, appreciated the fuel cleaning attention. As always boating education at your best. Fair Winds.
Yeah -- I made a typo error in the weather address. Several people corrected that in the comments. Sorry -- but thanks for watching.
Thank you for sharing, I always enjoy you videos, go navy
Many thanks for the kind remark…….Go Navy!
Really fine videos.
Hi Patrick, another great video. You are quickly becoming my hero. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Regarding the boom brake versus preventer discussion, we may add the extraordinary cost of this small simple device, which makes most prefer the preventer, costing nothing.
Oslo fjord is my sail playground. Although not being surrounded by dramatic mountains, it is surprising how one may be struggling with no wind, and suddenly get gusts of 20 plus knots. Happened twice to me this year already. I’m not aware of any model that can predict, since there are so many “paths” to funnel the wind and it becomes a much localized phenomena, perhaps of some 100 m wide, only occurring with some specific wind direction. The best hint is still to observe the water surface and reduce sail even it seems a non-sense at the moment.
I have been hammered severla times now as I pass between the glacier carving in the mountains. 10 to 30 knots in just a few seconds. I now sail almost permantly with at least 1 reef in. :-)