Frequently Asked Questions
How can I reach the East Greenland ?
The easiest and often cheapest way is to connect in Iceland. Air Iceland Connect runs flights every day, from the domestic airport of Reykjavik, to Kulusuk Airport in East Greenland. From there you can easily get to the harbour and join us by foot or taxi, a few miles away. Flight time is around 2 hours, price around 500 €.
How easy is it to reach Iceland ?
Iceland used to be a regular call for airlines after WWII, and is still very well connected to the major European and North-American major cities and capitals. Companies as IcelandAir, Norwegian Airlines, EasyJet, SAS, British Airways, pass through the international airport of Keflavik.
How do you reach Isafjörður and the Westfjords, our homeport ?
You can either book a flight with Air Iceland Connect or rent a car in Keflavik and drive along the roads N°1 and N°60 and discover the landscapes of North Western Iceland and the Westfjords. Note that flight delays and road trips can make this trip last more than 24 hours, especially in winter time.
What is Iceland ?
Iceland is one of the oldest ans most stable countries of Europe. Only 2 big cities and several villages and farms are located on the shore, while the interior of the island is a desert. The cost for living and travelling is high, but lower than in other Scandinavian countries.
What is East Greenland ?
East Greenland has never truly been inhabited except by Inuit people. With only two small settlements on Ammassalik island and in Ittoqotormiit, we have plenty of free space to sail in
total autonomy. In this area the ice cap is clearly visible from the sea.
Is the climate cold out there ?
Iceland has a subpolar climate, tempered by the North Atlantic Current ; Temperatures are usually around 0°C in winter, and between 10°C to 25°C in summer. It is often rainy and windy.
Greenland is slightly colder, due to the East Greenland Current, but in Summer, the weather is very stable and sunny ; temperatures are almost always above 0°C, and often more than 15°C. When hiking a baselayer and a light jacket are more than enough.
What will we eat ? Drink ?
Supplies in Iceland are diverse and of very good quality. Vegetables, meat, fish, almost everything is available and we can supply for almost every kind of cuisine.
Supplies in Kulusuk are more restricted, but local specialities and basic supplies are available.
In both countries, water is excellent and pure, and alcoholic drinks extremely expensive.
We can also catch delicious fish all along the way, like cods and arctic chars. Hunting is strictly forbidden.
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How far is Greenland from Iceland ?
Iceland and Greenland are separated by a narrow oceanic strait, called Groenland or Denmark strait. It takes slightly more than one day for Gryning to reach the Blosseville coast from Isafjordur (The shortest distance is 160 Nm).
Is it a difficult sailing ?
Weather and sea conditions may change quickly in the area, but in summer big storms are rare. We will wait maybe one or two days if the wind is blowing too strong for our comfort. So the sailing is really enjoyable for most people.
Do I need to be an experienced sailor to enjoy the trip ?
We are two professional sailors on board, and we can manage the boat on our own ; the spirit of our expedition is to involve you into all the activities, so we will be more than happy to teach you and let you have a go at different roles.
But it is better if you have already experienced to be on a sailboat for more than few hours before.
Three weeks on a boat seems to be a very long time for me.....
Yes, and no ; there is always lots of things to do onboard, and we will be happy to teach you the sailing life. But we also go ashore almost everyday, hiking, wandering, dreaming and picking up berries and fishes for the dinner.
When we are sailing, the scenery changes every moment, either the light or the shape of the icebergs, and we are always looking for a new encounter with a seal, a whale or a sea bird.
And of course, the comfort of our boat offers you to rest, read or write at your convenience.
And in three weeks, we are not rushing after our schedule, and we can adapt our sailing plan to our wishes, and keep clear of any meteorological inconveniences.