Patrick Lainevideo
EP 62 Solo Sailing Iceland's Western Coast
17 May 2023 · 24 min · 47K views · Faxaflói Bay
What this video covers
Solo sailing along the western coast of Iceland requires managing rapid wind shifts and significant tidal currents within narrow fjords.19:11 When navigating these waters, maintaining a reef in the mainsail provides a safety buffer against sudden gusts that can spike from 5 to 20 knots when rounding volcanic headlands.19:50 Coastal transit often involves docking at industrial fishing ports lacking floating pontoons, where tidal ranges of 3 to 5 meters necessitate constant monitoring of dock lines to prevent the boat from hanging or crushing against harbor tires.14:37 Using a sacrificial board against the hull helps protect the topsides, though it can snag on tire spacing.13:09 During a near-gale event in Keflavík, high winds and surge caused a fender to explode and resulted in cosmetic hull damage.21:32 For weather routing, local Icelandic meteorological services provide superior granularity for mountainous terrain compared to broader forecasting tools.15:52 AIS collision avoidance in choppy conditions remains challenging, as Raymarine displays can struggle to provide clear, stable CPA data for sailboats in heavy motion.7:18
Boats in this video
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