Reykjavík Grapevine - ágú. 2022, Blaðsíða 31

WELL, YOU ASKED
Why are you all trying
to move here?
Words: Emma Ledbetter
You asked, so we answered—but not in
a nice way. Although, we did have to
ask you to ask, so maybe we should stop
doing that.
How will international flights to
Akureyri affect North Iceland?
These newly-announced flights surely
make it easier for útlendingar (that’s
“foreigners,” for any non-Íslendingar
reading this) to access the Land of Fire
and Ice. But do you remember why
Iceland is called that? It’s because of
our unpredictable volcanic activity and
already melting glaciers. Giving tourists
another entry point probably couldn’t
make this environmental disaster any
worse, right? Oh wait, airplane fuel is
contributing to greenhouse gas emis-
sions? Hmm.
What is the housing situation like in
Iceland?
If you have to ask this, you probably
don’t want to live here. And if you
already know the answer, you still prob-
ably don’t want to live here. That’s right,
folks, it ain’t pretty. If you want to live
in one of the most expensive cities in
Europe, move to Reykjavík. That is, if
you can find a place to stay.
What is the best way to learn Icelan-
dic online?
So you’re trying to learn the language
of the country you’re visiting instead of
assuming everyone will speak English?
Good for you. Seriously. We have a
YouTube video about learning Icelan-
dic, but you should probably just watch
Icelandic movies with subtitles. You’ll
pick it up eventually. In the meantime,
just say “jæja” a whole bunch, and you
should be fine.
CITY SHOT by Art Bicnick
The Icelandic curling team
31The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08— 2022
Júlíus Guðnason
Words: Asha Edmondson Photos: Emma Ledbetter
Hundreds of boats come into Rey-
kjavík Harbour every year, but we
often forget the harbour’s biggest
helpers and keepers of order, the
tugboats. Reykjavík Harbour boasts
four tugs, and these busy-beavers
help make sure everything runs
smoothly.
However, the actual tugboat is
only half of the package. The cap-
tain and the crew are the true rulers
of the harbour. Captaining tugboats
in the Reyjavík Harbour since 2005,
Júlíus Guðnason, understands oce-
anic navigation better than anyone.
Ports (and starboard)
Born and raised in the coastal town
of Akranes, Júlíus grew up with sea-
manship at the forefront. “The port
was the main playground for the
boys,” he recalls. “Wanting to be a
sailor was always on my mind.”
At 19, Júlíus started working
on fishing vessels and eventually
transitioned to working the pas-
senger ferry to Akranes. When the
Hvalfjörður Tunnel was built, Júlíus
was left without a job which led him
to start captaining tugboats.
Switching from fishing vessels
and ferries to tugboats required
Júlíus to learn some new rules. “When
you’re on a different boat, if you are
too close there is danger of collision
and you have to do something about
it,” says Júlíus. “But in a tugboat, you
are mainly hitting other vessels and
pushing them.”
Bigger is better
Even though tugboats stay relatively
close to shore, tugboat sailing is still
a dangerous job. “If you’re on a small-
er boat and make a mistake, it is easy
to capsize the boat,”Júlíus explains.
Knowing that bigger boats are
safer, Júlíus has been an advocate,
encouraging the harbour to pur-
chase more large tugboats. “I’m
most proud of being the leader and
spokesperson for encouraging the
port to buy bigger and better tug-
boats, more equipment, and new
technology,” says Júlíus. Thanks to
Júlíus’ campaign, Reykjavík pur-
chased the port’s newest—and big-
gest—tugboat, Magni.
Friends and family
One of the reasons Júlíus likes tug-
boat sailing is he is able to stay close
to home. “It gives me a lot of oppor-
tunity to have a normal family life,”
says Júlíus.
Júlíus met his wife while partici-
pating in the nightlife at sailing and
navigation school. The couple have
two sons, but he says neither of them
are interested in following in his sail-
ing footsteps. “I am very happy they
chose another path,” laughs Júlíus.
“Working on the ocean is very dan-
gerous and I would always worry.”
The bond between captains and
their crew runs strong and Júlíus
says that his friendships with his col-
leagues are likely deeper than peo-
ple in other professions have with
their colleagues. “Even the retired
people maintain those connections,”
says Júlíus. “You can often see them
around the harbour!”
“We see everything!”
Unsurprisingly, working on the har-
bour at all hours of the day, Júlíus
has some tales to tell. “We see eve-
rything!” exclaims Júlíus. “Some of
the things we see are not possible
to print!”
After hearing some of the sto-
ries, we have to agree with Júlíus.
Some things that happen at sea were
meant to stay at sea…
The Islanders is our series where we
interview interesting people in Ice-
land about their unique lives. Know
someone we should speak to? Email:
grapevine@grapevine.is
The Islanders
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