The start motor and the generator that we replaced are working fine, the cooling hoses that we replaced are tight, the sails are mounted, the water and diesel tanks are full. We are ready to get out of Göta Kanal and go for a first sailing !
We departed from Norshom through Göta Kanal towards Mem on Saturday May 17th. We were quite anxious prior to departure because the weather forecast was giving relatively strong gusts of wind from north that could make manoevers in the locks a bit trickier. And also because after 7 months not sailing during winter time, we have a little bit lost our marks and our habits. At the end we ended up with very little wind most of the way and went through the 12 locks between Norsholm and Mem smoothly. We even got some cakes and drinks delivered by Maria’s step mother when passing through Carlsborgs locks, what a luxury. And we noted that Lovisa is also faster now, most probably thanks to the new antifouling.
We stayed over the night in the guest harbor of Stegeborg and continued our way towards our home harbor in Sankt Anna on Sunday May 18th.
The wind picked up during the night so we could sail a part of the way to Sankt Anna. A part of the way and not all the way because the winch on starbord side was not working properly. It was working in the opposite way as it should. This means that we messed something up when we did the service this winter. It was an easy fix but we had to disassemble the winch to swap some parts and make it work as it should.
Lovisa is now in Kalvholmen that will be our the starting line. But before crossing the start line we have to empty our house, say goodbye to our beloved ones, and do some last boat fix and repairs.