Track Belle Colombe

Both our AIS tracking services seem to be having problems as we head further north. We have now decided to experiment with PredictWind's tracking offer which is in the box below. It uses GPS data sent hourly over the internet to PredictWind's servers and hence to a personalised web page. The layers option allows you to decide what you want to see - you can turn off the wind display and add satellite coverage if you want. It also allows us to post photos as we go.

As belt and braces we will also post our position as a date/time stamped Google maps links (hint -turn on satellite layer to get a better look at the landscape):

• 3rd and 4th June we were at the most northerly settlement on Iceland’s mainland - Raufarhofn

• 5th June - we are heading to the Viking Harbour at Leirhofn

• Our intention is to get to Grimsey Island - inside the Arctic Circle - on 6th June and watch the sun not set at midnight.

• We made it to Grimsey and are now (7th June) at Olafsfjordur

• 8th June and we are in Akureyri

• 10th June and we were alongside in Hrisy

• 11th June we were alongside in Siglufjordur

• 12th June anchored for the night here at Kalfshamarnes

• 13th June - up anchor at 1030 and heading west to anchor at Djupavik

• 14th June we pause in Bergistangi for the thermal baths at Krossnes

• 14th June - a spectacular entry to our anchorage in Hornvik

• 15th June - paused at Adalvik for lunch and a run ashore in the dinghy

• 15th June - and finished for the day anchored at the end of Hesteyrarfjordur

• 16th June and we are now in Isafjordur for the next three days. Crew change over, work on our Eberspacher heating system and the to-do list and letting the bad weather pass

• We are in Flateyri for the night, alongside. Despite the pump for the Ebspacher being fixed the heating is still unreliable. Resorting to generator and a ceramic heater.

• Anchored off Talknafjordur after a lovely sunny day sail under genoa only. Dinghy down for a run ashore.

• After a flat calm day of motoring we are anchored off Grundarfjordur where we celebrate the solstice at midnight with Icelandic Schnapps and very 'mature' shark as a traditional accompaniment.

• Another calm day - mostly motoring sees us anchored off Anarstapi in brilliant sunshine. Two hours in the stern locker has the Ebspracher diesel heater removed ready to go to a dealer in Reykjavik for fixing (hopefully).

• We have been in Reykjavik for a few days with some of the crew off salmon fishing on the Langa River. We now have a working heater thankfully. We are now holding for a weather window for our passage to Greenland - at the earliest we will be going on the morning of Monday 29th.

• We left Reykjavik at 1530 on 28th to find an anchorage and wait for a good weather window. The harbour was also getting full with other boats waiting. As of the 29th we are heading north to see if we can position ourselves better for the weather window for a 'launch' on Tuesday morning. We are being cautious - forecast is changeable and we do not want to arrive off Greenland in high winds.

• It is 1930 (local) on 29th June. We are heading north west and think we have found our weather window. So we will be turning west later and heading for Tasiilaq in Greenland with an ETA of Wednesday late pm. You can track us across on our PredictWind map below. Lamb curry for supper. Generator on to charge batteries and run our water maker.

• It is 2nd July. So - a good crossing with some challenging sailing but rewarded by calm seas, sunshine and a stately procession of icebergs (gallery link) on our approach to Tasiilaq yesterday evening. Now at anchor for a couple days with jobs to do and exploring to be done.

• 3rd July and we have headed off to explore some of the surrounding fjords. We anchored for lunch here. Now heading to Tillerilaaq to anchor for the night. Heater appears to be fixed - the final link in the chain was an undocumented fuel filter hidden on the end of the Ebspracher fuel pump. We have generated 120l of water through the desalinator so a hot flannel wash for everyone tonight!

• 4th July and we have left our anchorage at Tillerilaaq heading south west to Dannebrog through spectacular fjord scattered with icebergs.

• We have found our anchorage here. We had to run through some challenging ice conditions. Thought we had it easy with brash ice but then found ourselves in a field of 'bergy bits' - interesting sounds as the ice bumps along the hull and we found our way through the ice field. More pictures in our Greenland Gallery.

• It is Sunday 5th July. We have moved carefully out of our anchorage and managed to work our way through less ice than on the way in to begin our transit to Kiataq.

• 6th July. We got into our anchorage very late last night. Charts and pilot books not helpful in finding the supposed anchorage. So we took time to try and find good enough holding. Ended up here. Interesting that Google Maps and Google Earth with Satellite Layer are better than Navionics for coastal detail. We are now motoring south in sunshine and warmth. Yesterday's sea ice fields have vanished and now we are seeing just a few bergs and hearing the occasional thunder of glaciers calving.

• 6th July - the most perfect enclosed anchorage at Graaf's Haven with a spectacular approach up iceberg strewn fjords. Absolute peace in about 10 m of water although it took a while to find the right depth. Fricassee Chicken and plenty of red wine for supper.

• 7th July and a short run with a good sail across to another anchorage at the entrance to Sjkoldungesund. Have decided to have late lunch at stay here for the night. Sun is out and sleep to catch up on.

• 8th July and an uneventful motor along spectacular coastlines to our anchorage at the old Danish Weather Station at Timmiarmiut. Lamb curry for supper courtesy of Charles O and Tim has been brave and swum around the boat again.

• 9th July and we departed in bright sun. By midday the fog began to draw in and we had several hours of working our way through thick fog and wind on the nose. Luckily it cleared for a while to allow us to transit a field of bergy bits but then closed down again as we approached our anchorage. Our Navionics charts are really of little use for approaches as they are up to 400m or more astray against the GPS. Using Google maps or Google Earth with the satellite overlay to assist works well.

• 10th July - we spent a couple of hours working through ice that had accumulated outside the anchorage and then an uneventful motor in calm conditions to our current anchorage at Syenibugt. Small glaciers and even a beach.

• 11th July was a rainy and grey combination of motoring and sailing to our anchorage in SW Linden Fjord. But at least we managed to watch the last 40 minutes of the England Norway match.

• 12th July - awake to bright sunshine. Able to complete drying out of kit and then off to navigate the scenic archipelago around here on the way back to the sea and the entrance to Prince Christian Sund. Calm and sunny so far. Arrived in good weather at the old Danish Weather Station at the entrance to Prince Christian Sund and now alongside in glorious weather and greeted by Arctic Foxes.