Day 7

As dawn rises over my shoulder, Charley’s celebrations at sighting land last night seem a very long time ago. Seen from the sea with the golden burst of a rising sun dancing off them the sheer sided mountains of the Faroes are a truly impressive sight…. I just wish they were a little closer! Closing the final 25 miles seems to have taken an age. Inevitably the wind is right on our nose… again, and we are struggling to make progress in the big seas. Worse still the engine has died on us again and the prospect of sailing onto a mooring in heavy seas and 25kts of wind is not thrilling anyone.

‘Deal with one problem at a time…….and don’t let the challenge overwhelm you’ I keep telling myself - This is what AT is supposed to be about! First, we get the engine sorted. It seems the significant boat movement in heavy seas has occasionally uncovered the fuel pick-ups allowing air into the fuel lines and initiating a fail-safe shut down. Bleeding the system clears the problem and we have the reassuring hum of the engine again. Next, use the lee of the land to get out of the biggest swell and enable a better course, Finally, get some more food inside us…… Spooning soup into my mouth while helming on a rollercoaster of waves, one in ten of which comes right over the boat and smashes me in the face, is becoming an art…….

Finally, with Charley helming us through the now fog shrouded mountains, Torshavn the biggest town and capital of the Faroes, comes into sight, and by seven in the morning we pass the breakwater into the calm of the Harbour. I call up the harbour master on VHF requesting a mooring only to get the response – “Sorry Acheron the marina is full” …. With the prospect of a wet and bouncy anchorage out in the islands looming – a bit of British persistence goes a long way, and we ploughed on determined to find some room – there’s always room for one more boat! It turns out we had arrived at exactly the same time as the Faroes annual music festival! Right on the harbour wall where we wanted to be. A little bit of jiggling and we’re covertly rafted up on a 50ft sail training yacht before the owner could protest too loudly.

A tough 250 miles through all sorts of conditions with a series of challenges and not a hint of complaint from the tired but happy team on board. Not for the last time on this trip I’m sure, I’m fully justified in calling this ‘proper AT’.

A few hours sleep for some, a shower and some home cooked scran on board and the world looks a better place. Outside it’s pouring down with rain but the music festival continues on regardless – and so do we!