This year's trip really is just to finish up last year's. Last September on the way home from Greenland we were caught in a storm 350 NM SW of Iceland. 18 meter seas. I did not get windspeed but at Iceland, which was 350 NM downwind from us, the winds were 90 kts. We were fully knocked down once (masts in the water), partly knocked down numerous times, and at one point up side down - very nearly rolled. Main mast was broken 9 ft from the top - there was a major knot at the breakage - a severe defect - see photo. The grain is all twisted. The double curve at back indicates where a knot was. This is a horrendous piece of wood. With quality wood the mast should not break. The main boom was broken, the A frame bowsprit torn off, plus various other lesser damage. We turned to nearest land, Grindavik (where the volcano started erupting a month later!), and shortly after that, with Jon Karlson, I moved Teddy to Djupivogur on the east coast, the Eastfjords. More of the story is on l...