Nordragøta, on the island of Eysturoy
We sailed for a few hours today, and it went pretty well. The engine started smoking halfway through the day and we were all breathing fumes. (With some clever MacGyvering, we fixed it and everything is as good as new.)
Fumes and a rolling boat don’t mix well, and a few us started to feel a little seasick after that. Since I’m already prone to getting seasick, I popped some chewy ginger candy in my mouth to help with slight nausea and asked to steer or helm the boat. It’s just like driving a car; you are so focused on driving and what’s in front of you, that you don’t get sick. I ended up helming the last half of the trip today, and it helped tremendously. So no organ donations to the sea gods from me today. 🙂
We arrived in a little village, Nordragøta, on the island of Eysturoy. The harbor was a tucked away and we were slightly confused on how to enter, but a very kind couple in a little boat helped to guide us in safely. As soon as we docked, people started to come out to see the new boat in town. We drew such a large crowd it made me think that they don’t tend to get visitors much. They were as curious about us as we were about them. They showed us where to hike, where we could access hot showers, and where the grocery store was and how late they were open. Such a welcoming bunch!
The sun had been hiding most of the day, but as soon as we arrived it made its appearance. As soon as it did, it got hot and fast. We were a sight to see shedding our many layers as quickly as we could. It felt so good to have just the one layer and to enjoy the warm summer sun again.
Everything is so green here, and it’s just so striking against the blue sky. Apparently a month ago everything was brown since they were just coming out of winter. But just a few weeks ago with the warmer weather, everything just went green.
Since it doesn’t get dark until 11ish, we had the whole rest of the day to get out and explore. Half of us went on a hike, and the other half wandered around town and visited the town museum. I went on the adventurous hike and it was beautiful! We somehow lost the not-so-well marked trail and took a steep route up the hill. While the views were breathtaking, the risk of slipping started to increase. Going up on long grassy hills is one thing, coming down and keeping control is another thing altogether. So we didn’t make it to the top, but we made it safely down (much of it on our backsides).
Krókaskákid, Faroe Islands
Another day and more of the spectacular scenery that never ceases to amaze me. We had a mix of clouds with rain and sunshine later in the afternoon. We never seem to tire of the green cliffs. Today we saw some unusual clouds that seemed to gather on top of the clips. They reminded me of flattened marshmallows. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
Rubicon3 has two boats – Hummingbird and Oriole. Today we met up with Oriole who was having some engine trouble and needed another set of eyes to take a look. They were in the area, and it made sense to meet up. She’s a beautiful boat and fast. We raced her, and it was neck and neck until the captain’s hat blew off and they turned back and did a man overboard drill. The skies were dark and moody, and it made for an exciting afternoon.
We spent the night in Krókaskákid and had a chance to visit with the crew on the other boat. I got to meet up with a friend who had been with me on my first sailing trip back in December. It was so great to see her again and to catch up. The people I meet on these adventures very often become wonderful friends. You see it takes a special brand of crazy to do these types of adventures. So when we meet people who are on the same epic adventure, we already know that we have the same brand of crazy.
How to Take This Trip
To take your own sailing adventure to the Faroes Islands or another exotic location, I would recommend checking out the company I went with, Rubicon3. This is now the second trip I’ve been on with them and I absolutely love their adventures! I have not been compensated to recommend them, it’s just an honest opinion. If you’re looking for unique adventures, small groups, breathtaking locations, off-the-beaten path trips, are open to learning new things and meeting wonderful people, it’s definitely worth exploring.
Questions about the trip?
If you have any questions about the trip, the boat, the gear, the flights, or the Faroe Islands, please feel free to reach out. You can leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer. Thanks!