Wind and waves on the Heimaey–Landeyjahöfn ferry crossing, today and tomorrow, in plain words.
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Heimaey's link to the mainland is one boat across 12 km of open North Atlantic. Wind and sea state — not the cold — are what stop the Herjólfur, so this page reads the open-water wind and waves on the crossing for today and tomorrow, in plain words. It is not a sailing forecast: whether the boat runs is Herjólfur's call, posted on herjolfur.is and the ferry's Facebook page.
Landeyjahöfn silts up
Right now: moderate seas (waves around 2.3 m), a moderate breeze (about 23 km/h, gusts to 30).
Rougher earlier in the day, easing later.
| When | Looks like | Waves | Wind | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning sailings (around 07:00–09:00) | moderate seas, a moderate breeze | up to 1.9 m | up to 31 km/h in gusts | no rain expected |
| Midday sailings (around 11:00–13:00) | moderate seas, a moderate breeze | up to 1.6 m | up to 25 km/h in gusts | no rain expected |
| Evening sailings (around 16:00–19:00) | moderate seas, a moderate breeze | up to 1.4 m | up to 27 km/h in gusts | no rain expected |
Much the same through the day.
| When | Looks like | Waves | Wind | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning sailings (around 07:00–09:00) | moderate seas, a fresh breeze | up to 1.4 m | up to 38 km/h in gusts | no rain expected |
| Midday sailings (around 11:00–13:00) | moderate seas, a fresh breeze | up to 1.4 m | up to 39 km/h in gusts | no rain expected |
| Evening sailings (around 16:00–19:00) | slight seas, a fresh breeze | up to 1.2 m | up to 45 km/h in gusts | no rain expected |
The Herjólfur normally sails the short Landeyjahöfn route. When storms or sand silt the entrance at Landeyjahöfn below the depth the ferry needs, sailings reroute to Þorlákshöfn — a 2.5–3 hour crossing instead of 35 minutes, sometimes for weeks. High wind and swell are the day-to-day reason a sailing is dropped outright.
This describes the water, not whether the boat will sail
The crossing is open North Atlantic, fully exposed to storms — a gust of 61 m/s has been recorded here, and swell at the harbour of about 3 m is enough to stop sailings. The wind and wave words below follow two published scales (Douglas for waves, Beaufort for wind); they describe the sea, and are never a judgement that it is safe to cross.
Whether the Herjólfur runs — and from which harbour — is decided by Herjólfur ohf. and posted on herjolfur.is, the ferry's Facebook page, and Eyjafréttir. For sailing questions call +354 481 2800. In an emergency at sea, call 112.
Forecast updated 16 July at 3:59. Wave and wind figures are open-water model forecasts for the open water between Heimaey and Landeyjahöfn, not readings from a boat — conditions in channels and near the shore differ. The words follow two published descriptive scales (the Douglas sea scale for waves, the Beaufort scale for wind); they describe the water and are never a judgement that a crossing is safe to make. Weather and marine data by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).