Just add Water ...

 

 

"The stranger is always somewhat at sea and, like a castaway, faced with unusual, unexpected problems."

                                                                                                                                                    Paul Theroux

Icelandic Lows

On June 18th, 2008, after having been Iceland for only 2 weeks, I paddled from Stagley Island back towards Stykkisholmur to take the bus back to Reykjavik to fly home to NYC the following day. My attempt to circumnavigate Iceland was over only 2 weeks after I set out from Reykjavik.

In my 12 days paddling in Iceland I spent:

5 days on shore due to winds,
2 days off fiberglassing (one beach, one shop repair day), on
3 days I paddled only half a day due to bad weather, and was only
2 days paddling full days.

Right from the start I learned that the Icelandic waters and its weather can be like nothing I have ever experienced before. Shortly after setting out from Reykjavik on my first paddling day, strong katabatic winds blew me offshore and made it hard for me to reach the safety of the shore. I had my second experience with the proverbal "Icelandic Lows" (fast approaching low pressure systems) on my last paddling day before I got stuck for 4 days on Stagley Island: A storm developed while I was on the water, at this time I was already without a working satellite pager to receive the weather forecast. I made it to the closest island I could see on the horizon, which was Stagley Island, and paddled to safety as hard as I could.

After my struggle to each Stagley Island, I felt that I lost a little bit of confidence about the trip, and that I gained in return a sick feeling in my stomach and a healthy respect about the trip around Iceland, a respect about to cross the line to fear.

Adding to my uncomfortable feeling was that I blew a surf launch a week into the trip. This surf accident set me back equipment wise, making me paddling from this point on:

- with a severely damaged kayak with 7 holes and one 13 inch long crack, causing me to live with wet hatches and to paddle & pump for 2 days until I reached the fiberglass repair shop in Hellisandur.

- without weather forecasts due to the damaged sat pager (due to flooded hatch compartments, although the pager was in a dry bag, which took in water anyway)
- without spare paddles, the spare paddles got ripped off the back deck during the surf accident, and
- a broken VHF charger, which was also for hours in a dry bag, but floating in water for too long made water seep into the dry bag, destroying the charger.

Snaefellness Peninsula with its dormant vulcano. The protagonists in Jules Verne's book "Journey to the Center of the Earth" believed the top of this volcano is the entrance of the passage to the center of the Earth.

I like to thank the sponsors of the Around Iceland 2008 Expedition, hoping that everyone of them is not too disappointed I haven't made it around Iceland.

Nigel Dennis of Sea Kayaking UK,
Kerri from MSR,
Chris Heffernan and Murray of LENDAL,
Chris Reed of REED Chill Cheater,
Tim from Patagonia,
Steini from Seakayak Iceland,
Rich of Snap Dragon Designs,
Karel of Kayak Weather Blogspot,
Wenley for onkayaks.squarespace,
Lisa from KOKATAT, and
Danielle from Sierra Design.

I feel content, maybe not entirely happy, with my decision having ended the trip and will visit Iceland again hopefully with a new attempt to paddle around this beautiful country. The next time hopefully with a paddling partner, or with a team of 3, to play cards with during the time waiting for the storms to pass.

We know it can be done!

 

 

 

 

 

 Snaefellness Pensisula, on my way to the fiberglass boat repair shop in Hollisandur.

 

The Hardest Part

as published by Derrick Mayoleth on June 16th on www.kayakquixotica.com

printed with permission by author (thank you, Derrick!)

 

"I hope you’ve been following along with Marcus Demuth's attempt to cricumnavigate Iceland. He’s certainly had a challenging start. So far he’s banged up his boat the surf, lost a paddle, killed a pager, and had his VHF charger go out just since his launch only 7 days ago. As you know Iceland has been the center of a good many expeditions over the last few years and each time produces a bit of excitement.

Iceland as we’ve talked about before sits just short of the arctic circle and produces some of the most challenging weather conditions a paddler could face; big seas, quickly changing weather, and harsh unforgiving coastlines. The pay off for those explorer types of course is that Iceland also offers and incredible look at raw nature with active volcanoes, lava deserts, tall snow capped mountains, huge seabird colonies, friendly people. . . oh, and great access to the net as well! (even if the SAT phones are a bit dodgy)

By completing his Iceland Circumnavigation, Marcus would join a very small group of paddlers who’ve come before, only Rotem Ron is credited for doing the trip solo. (although I’ve heard there may have been one other.) Greg Stamer & Freya Hoffmeister completed the trip last year at breakneck speed and Shawna Franklin, Leon Sommer and Chris Duff also completed the trip in 2003. Iceland demonstrates how each expedition has its own personality, and it’s own set of challenges. Sometimes uneventful, sometimes filled with crazy weather and challenges of a more human nature. Still each paddler or team has been up to the challenges this island at the top of the world could toss at them. As Marcus continues on he not only faces nature, but the inner battle over good judgment, drive to succeed, self doubt, and self confidence. Each voice demanding their moment. The real victory however is in taking the challenge at all; win, lose, or draw.

Packing the boat in a shipping container turned into a dressing room at the Reykjavik Kayak Club.

I was chatting with a friend the other day about how these amazing expeditions can seem a bit too simple sometimes to the casual observer. More often than not we hear someone is going somewhere and later we hear they completed the trip. It can seem a bit too simple. As more and more folks take on these challenges they can feel a bit mundane. Of course that is not the case. The truth is that each trip, whether a day, a week a month or more carries some hard risks. The longer the trip, the more isolated the destination, the more you expose yourself to those risks. It’s worth noting that often the biggest dangers each day are just launching and landing.

As supports, well wishers, paddle voyeurs, or fans I hope we always recognize that just sliding that boat off the beach and making good decisions is a respectable win, even if the decision is to stop. Marcus has shown already that each little issue cause him to re-evaluate the journey. This is a good sign. It means that he will probably make the right choices for himself as an individual each day. With that regular self-evaluation chances are we will soon be adding him to the list of those who have successfully circumnavigated Iceland. And even if he stopped today, he’d already go home with a victory."

Derrick Mayoleth, Wisconsin, June 14th, 2008