5-19.8.2023

Track: Torshavn - Suduroy - Sandur - Midvagur - Hestur - Skopun - Midvagur - Vestmanna - Eidi - Fuglafjordur - Klaksvik - Nolsoy - Torshavn
Mileage: 189 NM
Role: skipper
Tidal: yes; up to 1.8m.

Resources

Navigation: Meteo:

yr.no, Windy, Windfinder

Vestfallskyrrindi (see below):

The log was created after the fact, the mileage is a conservative estimate.

Log

Imray Arctic and Northern Waters is useful as an overview, but lacks/underestimates depths around many ports, Cruising Guide to Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Jan Mayen 2023 proved to be very useful, Navionics is adequate. There are a couple other sailing directions, that were given to me by the boat owner, these proved to be most useful.

Tidal streams are very strong, they create races and choppy sea, in different places at different phase of the tide:

  • To estimate currents: install Rák app on you smartphone (www.rak.fo), also https://fishin.fo/ website has this information although it explicitly says “Not for navigation”.
  • Races: There’s local Almanac and/or Tidal atlas showing the rough sea areas, as a function of delay after the recent Vestfallskyrrindi in Suduroy. The latter can be found online: https://portal.fo/vestfallskyrrindi
  • Watch out! Here’s Erik Aanderaa having a near-miss south of Vagar island: https://youtu.be/VNo3s10BH2s?si=U-xPBEiT_q_kvW8V

Fogs occur, sometimes thick. Watch out for the ferries, especially near harbor entrances.

I haven’t tried anchorage - most anchorages are exposed from at least one direction, and the depths grow fast.

The harbors are mainly for fishing/locals, although Torshavn and Klaksvik have berths for visiting boats. The depths were enough for us everywhere, in Fuglafjord we had to stay at the very entrance.

Shore power and fresh water: mostly available, sometimes with a prepaid plastic card of the corresponding municipality. I looked for “Havn” (or a similar) section of the municipality website when needed a phone of harbor master.

Visit Mykines. Book well in advance, we were lucky to get four of the very few tickets left 3 weeks in advance.

The bareboat charter is sparse, there are only a few private owners, chartering out in Torshavn.

Time Location Logged distance Remarks
5.8.23 (end of day) Torshavn

Boat takeover; set up the reef lines; port headlight broken, repair tomorrow.
6.8.23 (end of day) Suduroy 36 NM

Calm weather, mostly under engine; slightly disturbed sea E of Dimun islands; headlight repaired, bulb dead, extra is underway; harbor in the N: deep, water+sp.
7.8.23 (end of day) Sandur 28 NM

Sailed SW of Dimuns; motored E of Skuvoy; narrow entrance, deep harbor to the right of entrance, water+sp; received the bulb.
8.8.23 (end of day) Midvagur 20 NM

N-ly, attempted to sail first, no progress; engined most of the way; S harbor is shallow, stayed along the wall at its entrance, water+sp; tide 1.8m.
9.8.23 (end of day)

Heavy weather, land day; walked to Bøsdalafossur waterfall.
10.8.23 (end of day) Hestur 10 NM

Joined Birgir, who showed us caves and cliffs S side of the island; made landing on the cliffs. Small, narrow harbor, depths okay, ferry, water+sp.
11.8.23 (end of day) Skopun 4 NM

Foggy, lazy day. Visited swimming pool in Hestur. Small harbor, deep, ferry, sp; significant side-way current at the entrance.
12.8.23 (end of day) Midvagur 16 NM

Watched the Bøsdalafossur waterfall from the sea.
13.8.23 (end of day) Vestmanna 11 NM

Ferried to Mykines in the morning - worth a visit. Mostly engine, very strong current in the fjord. No pontoons, stayed along the wall, water (long hose), sp (called harbor master for the code).
14.8.23 (end of day) Eidi 16 NM

Very strong current NNW to NNE of Streymoy (up to 9kt), rough sea; pulls to the cliffs at the tip W of Streymoy; real strong vortex at the fjord entrance; decided not to fuel at Vestmanna (mistake!), switched to emergency fuel tank, restocked diesel at Eidi.
15.8.23 (end of day) Fuglafjordur 15 NM

shallow harbor, few spots for the yacht, water+sp.
16.8.23 (end of day) Klaksvik 7 NM

good harbor, water, local card for sp.
17.8.23 (end of day) Nolsoy 23 NM

Good sailing weather, sailed S of Nolsoy island; very choppy sea at the island S tip, turned on the engine there.
18.8.23 (end of day) Torshavn 3 NM