Landing in Keflavik airport yesterday, we had the surprise to see the rifle coming between two pushchairs on the outsized luggage belt while the amo box trodded gently on the main belt among bags and suitcases coming from London, Paris and Copenhagen. Perhaps the Icelandic approach of “hidden in plain sight”… This being said I diligently went to the Customs and once again had to be patient. Full due diligence, …

Here we are … Four of us waiting our delayed flight to Reykjavik in London Heathrow Terminal 2. We already had to dig deep into our patience quota having turned up at 5:30pm at the aiport for a 9pm flight. When the Icelandair lady told me over the phone that I should come three hours before check-in to register the rifle, I thought it was a tad over the top. …

In the morning of the 15th of July, we leave Hornvik with a gentle East – North East breeze towards Isafjordur. Guillaume is exploring various options to leave Boreal at the end of the month before his Greenland expedition. He has been thinking of Isafjordur for a while after a number of discussions with Islandic and Arctic navigation experts. Indeed, the place is known as a ‘cyclone’s hole’ being so …

We left Siglufjordur around PM 5.00 under a little breeze and headed West for a 24 hour crossing to the West Fjords, the remotest part of Iceland and the westernest part of Europe. In fact, we crossed the rift which is separating Europe from America as we sailed off to cape Horn (0f Iceland!). We started with a light North East wind rocking us gently as the sunrays glimmered on …

It is almost with sadness that we left the welcoming town of Akureyri behind us, starting with the chidren who had an amazing time in the wonderful pool of mineral water heated at 30 degrees, with tobbogans and hot tubes at 43 degrees. The children discovered with delight that whilst being a rather cold country, Iceland had plenty of hot water everywhere and water was what to look for and …

9 July – This morning, we arrived in iceland Reykyavic and were greeted by violent and cold winds. There were plain lands as far as the eye can see and unluckily our next flight to Akureyri was delayed . It was indeed not a very good start for the first day in Iceland . With cold winds blowing from the west, if we are correct , we waited patiently . …

We reached Akureyri… 26th June 2016 After a long and quite strenuous crossing, we reached Iceland and the harbour of Akureyri on the North coast of Iceland. If our 800nm passage would have been more pleasant with stronger winds, Iceland kept its promises with stunning landscapes. 19th June – Coming from Switzerland, Majorca, Moscow and the UK, the team gathered in Bodø, all eager to get going and take Boreal …

Boreal is back in the water 30th May 2016 Last Friday, just before landing, we flew over the scattered tiny rocky islands off the Bodø coast under a glorious sun playing with the horizon line without ever setting. As we walked down from the airport to the harbour, we fell again under the exhilarating effects of the polar days, as we did last year as we crossed the Arctic circle. Despite …

One month to go before we set sail… 17th May 2016 Only one month before we set sail to Iceland. After a long winter ashore, on 20th June, we will leave Bodø and sail towards Akureyri on the North coast of Iceland. Rachel, Steve, Andrey and Karl will join Boreal for this 800nm passage. Clearly they have not been put off by their experience last year. The map are here …