The longliner Jökull SK 16 is back above water. After sinking at its berth in Hafnarfjörður harbour — for the third time in six years — the vessel was refloated by a diving team working through the day at Óseyrarbryggja, the town's harbour master Lúðvík Geirsson confirmed. "It all ended well today," he said.
The salvage operation started in the morning, with crews pumping seawater out of the hull. To keep the boat stable and stop it listing as it emptied, it was tied to two heavy trucks that held it in place and gradually straightened it. By the end of the working day, Jökull was afloat again.
This is not the boat's first drama. Two weeks earlier it went down at the very same spot, prompting Guðmundur Fylkisson — a police officer who sits on the harbour board — to reveal that the owners had already been ordered to remove the vessel after two previous sinkings. Now the plan is to haul it ashore in the near future and, in all likelihood, dispose of it for good. The timing of that final step is up to the owners, though harbour staff will keep an eye on the boat until it's out of the water.
For a visitor, this is a small, curious slice of life in a working Icelandic port. Hafnarfjörður sits just south of Reykjavík and doubles as a busy fishing harbour and a popular stop for travellers — it's known for its Viking-themed restaurants, lava-field walking trails and as a regular cruise ship port of call. A half-sunk longliner at the quay is the kind of thing you might have spotted on a stroll along the waterfront; refloating it took divers, pumps and a pair of very patient trucks.
Why does it matter to travellers? Mostly it's reassurance and colour: one of Iceland's most atmospheric harbour towns keeps functioning as usual, and stories like this explain why Icelandic ports feel genuinely lived-in rather than polished for tourists. If you're visiting Hafnarfjörður — whether on a day trip from the capital or off a cruise ship — the harbour area is worth a wander, ideally with a stop for lamb soup or a feared-but-friendly Viking feast at one of the waterfront restaurants. And if you hear locals talking about Jökull, you'll know exactly which boat they mean: the one that simply refused to stay down.
