In adventure travel, there are those moments when everything seems perfectly aligned, with all logistics meticulously planned, only for it all to go wrong at the last moment. Our sailing expedition from Iceland to Greenland — what was supposed to be a dream come true — turned into one of those tales.
After time spent on careful planning, a crew of twelve passionate sailors from three different continents assembled in Reykjavik, Iceland, eager to embark on the Arctic sailing expedition. Our goal was ambitious: to cross the Denmark Strait, cruise down the rugged eastern coastline of Greenland, sail around Cape Farewell, and then head north to Nuuk. All that was left to do was to finish provisioning and wait for our yacht to arrive from the Faroe Islands.
What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out—almost everything
Storm Clouds Gather
On June 5th, as we tracked the yacht’s course from the Faroe Islands, a sense of unease set in. The captain, it seemed, had chosen a perilous course, sailing just ahead of an approaching low-pressure system. The yacht’s speed began to drop as it struggled through fierce winds and heavy seas. After several days of battling the elements, disaster struck—the tracker showed the yacht slowing to a halt. Something must have gone terribly wrong.
The first reports were alarming. The yacht had sustained significant damage in the tumultuous seas—shredded sails, a damaged engine, and an inability to maintain course had forced the crew to call for help. Icelandic Search and Rescue immediately launched into action, heading out into the storm to tow the yacht to the safety of Vestmannaeyjar, a small island off Iceland's eastern coast
A Meeting with Disaster
We immediatly made our way to Vestmannaeyjar late in the night, but under Iceland’s endless summer sun, it felt like twilight. A crowd had already gathered at the dock, intrigued by the dramatic rescue that had made it onto the evening news the night before. The scene was somber as the yacht limped into port, her sails in tatters, her crew exhausted.
Photos we took quickly spread across social media, capturing the heart-wrenching conclusion to what should have been the start of our Arctic adventure.
Onboard, the damage was worse than we imagined. The engine was inoperable—its gearbox shredded, a tow rope twisted into the propeller, and a vital part of the drive shaft likely needed replacement. A local shipyard mechanic warned us that repairs would take at least a week, possibly longer. Time, however, was not on our side.
A Question of Time & Sea Worthiness
Our yacht charter had been planned with three weeks to cross the Denmark Strait, explore Greenlands rugged and majestic coastal waters, wildlife and Inuit villages before our deadline to return the yacht in Nuuk. Losing a week or more to repairs would mean a hard all out push for Nuuk with no leeway to spare in case of bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
June 7th, the day we were originally meant to board the yacht, turned into a day of growing doubt, difficult discussions and honest assessments. The owner tried to reassured us that repairs would be swift and that we would be able to set sail within a few days. Yet our captain was skeptical. Would the yacht be seaworthy in time? What if something went wrong once back out at sea?
With each passing hour, the pressure to make a decision mounted. Should we wait and hope for the best, or should we cut our losses and abort?
Decision Time
Ultimately, in alignment with the crew, we made the painful yet right decision not to set sail. The safety of the crew and the expedition had priority. After much deliberation with the yachts owner, we secured a refund for the yacht charter. But the bitter taste of disappointment remained.
It’s Not the Destination, it’s the Journey.
Our tale is not just one of bad luck; it’s also a lesson in how to navigate the unexpected twists that come with expedition travel. Adventure travel often demands making tough calls in the face of adversity and against all your hope and dreams. No matter how meticulously we had prepared the expedition and our crew, their safety ultimately had to come first. And in this case the circumstances that we faced left us no choice but to haul in the sails.
Yet, every cloud has a silver lining. Though not our intended destination, Iceland became the backdrop for a new adventure — one filled with exploration, camaraderie, and the forging of unexpected friendships and memories. Not every expedition ends as planned, nor does every journey end in triumph. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” So even though we never made it to Greenland, the journey we experienced will have created memories that will last a lifetime
