The summer voyage has finally got underway, but it got off to a slow start. It took nearly two weeks to defuse a 'ticking bomb' (the gearbox), which was on the verge of serious malfunction. Read more about it here. The captain is alone on board; Katrine has to stay at work for the first half of the summer. A brisk southwesterly wind is providing good headwinds as I sail north along the Helgeland coast. I just need to make it there in time for when Katrine and her crew arrive by plane to sign on in Tromsø. A nice cup of tea and a slice of Katrines "Expedition Cacke" (Mormors recipe), higly helps on the motivation of a singlehanded sailor.

Nerdiness Qoutient: 4/10 Doing the laundry quickly becomes quite a chore you dread if you have to wash it in a bucket. Our 7 week sailing trip last summer made it clear to us that we had to find a solution for the laundry. Using laundrettes in random places turned out to be a challenge; they were simply not to be found on the Greenland east coast, or like the one that was found in Raufarhofn - Iceland which kept us there for hours... Friends of ours who sail in more civilised parts of the world also complain that they spend a disproportionate amount of time trying to get their laundry done wherever they go. The YouTube University revealed that the Koreans have made a efficient 3 kg washing machine for small spaces, and many sailors report that they are absolutely delighted after installing one. Locally in Norway, it was difficult to find anyone selling them, but AllerGoedKopst in the Netherlands sent us one within 10 days. We found the needed space in our forward head, and is now looki

Nerdiness Quotient: 7/10 Thanks to Victron Remote Management (VRM), it's easy to keep an eye on the onboard climate and the status of the Lithium batteries. The 24/7 online monitoring system provides continuous updates, offering reassurance that even when it is below freezing outside, the temperature inside remains well above zero degrees Celsius. Any DC or AC load can be easily monitored. The battery status of 68% is held more or less constant due to the charger settings of the Multi Pluss-II. (Described in the Oct. 25 blog) According to the Victron Smart LiFePO4 battery manual, the recommended State of Charge for long-term storage is between 60% and 80%. Since the boat is abandoned, the 'fridge' is not operational, so the temperature sensor has been placed directly on an un-insulatet part of the hull in a storage compartment without heating. The absolute coldest place on board..! When the YOYO Power 220V system thermostat (see picture below) kicks in, approximately 1600 W is drained

Nerdiness Quotient: 5/10 Moon came with one of the best heat sources you can have on a boat, a Reflex diesel stove, but it lacked one very important detail. Access to the flame. Read more here...

Nerdiness Quotient: 5/10 When sailing in high latitudes like the west coast of Norway, a proper cockpit enclosure is heavily needed. Moon did not have any. Read more...