When traveling by boat, technical problems are not uncommon. When Arthur's yacht had to cope with two major breakdowns at the same time, a technical stopover in Iceland was called for before the crossing to Greenland.
When equipment goes on strike
Arthur's windlass goes on strike as he tries to leave the island of Grimsey, north of Iceland. We're ready to leave, but he refuses to pull up our anchor. No matter what we do, check the connections, the battery and everything else, nothing works. Specifically, the windlass turns down, but not up. We're in a real bind.
To leave the anchorage, we end up hauling in the anchor by hand, no mean feat with 60 metres of 12 mm chain and 10 metres of water. Once the anchor was unhooked, we decided to sail directly to Isafjordur, a town in north-west Iceland, where we hoped to make repairs.
As we set the sails, Arthur's electric furling genoa motor, which was already showing signs of weakness, also stops working. We start to get depressed.
Technical stopover in Iceland
After two days' sailing in fog and ice, Arthur arrives at the port of Isafjordur. There's no room at the pontoon, but fortunately a last solitary buoy floats in the bay. Unable to anchor, we tie up to it with relief.
But the hardest part is yet to come. We have to diagnose the failures of our furling and windlass motors. The next five days are devoted to dismantling, testing and searching for components in the small town's stores and businesses, in the light, icy rain.
Isafjordur, a complete stopover
While the work is in progress, the children find the time a little long. Fortunately, the town of Isafjordur is one of the largest on Iceland's north-western peninsula. Naturally, there's a swimming pool, several playgrounds and a large, cosy, heated library. Ideal for school on rainy days.
What's more, the town offers several small restaurants, a museum, various stores and two supermarkets, including one near the port, as well as many other amenities. We take the opportunity to take stock and stock up on supplies. Nevertheless, after five days, we've come full circle.
Full-scale tests
As soon as the windlass and roller furler motors wake up, thanks to Guillaume's hard work and patient efforts, we decide to go and test the equipment in a fjord near the town. We let go of our buoy and set off to explore the surrounding area.
A few more adjustments are needed over the next few days, but on the whole Arthur is working properly again. We're almost ready for Greenland.
However, the ice map is not very encouraging. This year, the east coast is taking a long time to emerge from its frozen gangue. In the meantime, we're discovering the beauty of Iceland's western fjords.
