Nordkynn

Veronica Skotnes

An eventful sail from Alta to Mehamn, passing Nordkynn, the northernmost point of mainland Europe. My mate Rune joined me for this sail, something I was very thankful for, as this was truly a test of skills. It began with an emergency anchoring only four hours after leaving Alta, when water started entering the boat through the anchor hatch. Due to rough waves, the bow was constantly submerged in water. The wood anchor hatch was already rotten, and the force of the waves broke it completely, letting water into the boat through a hole between the anchor department and the rest of the boat. After fixing the issue, we had two smooth days of sailing, dodging low pressures by sailing at night. Under the midnight sun, we quickly lost track of daytime and nighttime. We anchored in three different bays before heading towards Mehamn. When passing the notorious Nordkynn, the northernmost point of mainland Europe, we got caught in a gale of 35 kts coming from the aft. It was great sailing conditions, until the furling line of the genoa snapped while reefing, and we lost complete control of the huge sail. Battling with the sail for what felt like an eternity, it was only a miracle that there were no other damages to us or the boat apart from a small rift in the genoa. We arrived in Mehamn at 6AM in the morning, pretty shaken from the experience.

Boat & Crew

Villekulla

Ansø, 42

Veronica Skotnes

Owner