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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
The mainland harbour at Landeyjahöfn is built on a sand coast and shoals in winter and spring storms. When it does, the boat reroutes to Þorlákshöfn (75 km, ~2.5–3 hours). Always check which harbour today's sailing uses before you drive to the mainland side.
On the water — Heimaey ↔ Landeyjahöfn
Right now: rough seas (waves around 2,6 m), a fresh breeze (about 33 km/h, gusts to 42).
Today · Mon, 12 Oct
Much the same through the day.
When
Looks like
Waves
Wind
Rain
Morning sailings (around 07:00–09:00)
rough seas, a fresh breeze
up to 2,9 m
up to 41 km/h in gusts
no rain expected
Midday sailings (around 11:00–13:00)
rough seas, a fresh breeze
up to 2,6 m
up to 46 km/h in gusts
no rain expected
Evening sailings (around 16:00–19:00)
rough seas, a strong breeze
up to 2,9 m
up to 52 km/h in gusts
no rain expected
Tomorrow · Tue, 13 Oct
Rougher earlier in the day, easing later.
When
Looks like
Waves
Wind
Rain
Morning sailings (around 07:00–09:00)
rough seas, a moderate breeze
up to 2,9 m
up to 37 km/h in gusts
about 4 mm of rain
Midday sailings (around 11:00–13:00)
rough seas, a fresh breeze
up to 2,5 m
up to 37 km/h in gusts
a shower possible
Evening sailings (around 16:00–19:00)
moderate seas, a moderate breeze
up to 2,4 m
up to 31 km/h in gusts
a shower possible
The crossing, normally
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.
Normal crossing
Landeyjahöfn ↔ Heimaey, about 35 minutes (12 km)
Bad-weather reroute
Þorlákshöfn ↔ Heimaey, about 2.5–3 hours (75 km)
When it stops
Sailings are often cancelled when the swell at the harbour reaches about 3 m
Check before you go
herjolfur.is, the Herjólfur Facebook page, and Eyjafréttir — call +354 481 2800
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 12 October at 11:51. 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).
Rough seas
Waves around 2,6 m · a fresh breeze (about 33 km/h, gusts to 42)