Sailing in the Westfjords

The Westfjords offer some of the most remote and beautiful cruising grounds in the North Atlantic: a coastline of deep, sheltered fjords, many of them uninhabited, with no marinas, few other boats and abundant wildlife.

Sailing here is expedition sailing — you anchor in wild coves rather than tie up in harbours, cook aboard, and go days seeing more seals and seabirds than people.

Under the long summer light you can thread between towering cliffs, land by dinghy on empty beaches, and wake to whales in the fjord. It rewards competent crews with genuine self-reliant adventure in staggering scenery, far from the tourist trail.

Whether you charter with a skipper or sail your own boat, a week among these silent, roadless fjords is a rare taste of high-latitude cruising most sailors only dream about.

Expedition-style cruising among remote fjords, anchoring in wild bays rather than using marinas (there essentially aren't any).

Day sails between fjords are often in sheltered water, but this is a high-latitude, exposed coast where weather and fog can change fast, water is cold, and help is far away — so it demands a capable boat and crew, self-reliance, and careful anchoring and passage planning.

Between sails there's dinghy exploring, wildlife watching, hiking ashore and the deep quiet of uninhabited country under the midnight sun. You either need solid sailing experience to charter bareboat, or take a skippered expedition charter and be as hands-on as you like.

Provisioning must be planned around the few small settlements. The reward is true wilderness cruising with an intimacy and solitude few coastlines can offer.

Sail in summer, June to August, for the mildest weather and long daylight.

Charter from Ísafjörður or join a skippered expedition-charter yacht — for most people a skippered trip is the way to experience it, letting a professional handle the remote pilotage, anchoring and weather calls; bareboat is only for very experienced crews.

Plan a flexible route around the weather and the sparse resupply points, and always check the forecast before committing to a passage. Bring warm layers — it's cool and breezy under way even in summer — plus waterproofs and sturdy footwear for landings.

Provision well, as shops are few and far between. Respect the wildlife and leave anchorages as you found them. It's premium, remote cruising, so it's not cheap, but the emptiness and beauty are the payoff.