New South Iceland Harbor to Remain Closed

The new Landeyjahöfn harbor in south Iceland, which shortened the sailing route to the Westman Islands, might remain closed until February due to difficult weather conditions, according to Sigurdur Ás Grétarsson, director of the Icelandic Maritime Administration’s harbor division.


From the harbor's opening earlier this year.

Grétarsson wrote in an article in the Westman Islands newspaper Fréttir that the depression that passed across the country in the last few days will likely cause mud to be carried into the mouth of the harbor which makes it too shallow for Herjólfur, the Westman Island ferry.

The inspection of Scandia, a vessel in the ownership of Íslenska gámafélagid used for pumping mud out of the harbor, has been delayed until after New Year’s Eve and therefore it cannot be used for deepening Landeyjahöfn until in the latter part of January.

However, it is uncertain how much mud, a large part of which is ash from Eyjafjallajökull, will be carried into the harbor—its quantity has been declining in recent months.

Gudmundur Nikulásson at Eimskip, which operates Herjólfur, said he is optimistic about the harbor’s future.

When the deepening has been completed the stormy winter weather which has often caused the harbor’s closure due to high waves will also have passed over, he said.

The Westman Islands ferry Herjólfur could enter the new Landeyjahöfn harbor this morning in spite of predictions that the harbor would remain closed for approximately one month as the harbor’s mouth was said to be blocked by mud.


Herjólfur sails into Landeyjahöfn for the first time.

At closer inspection it turned out that not as much mud had been carried into the harbor as earlier expected and so deepening the harbor isn’t necessary. Herjólfur is now sailing according to schedule, ruv.is reports.

The plan was to have the deepening vessel Scandia, which is owned by Íslenska gámafélagid, pump mud out of the harbor next week. But the ship is currently stuck in Denmark and won’t return to Iceland until mid-January.

Now, as it turns out, Scandia will not be needed.