Preparations before departure

This page is a summary of all blog posts about all the renovation and preparations we did before our departure. Below is links to all blog posts before departure. If you are interested in what our preparations before departure actually cost, check out the pages below Cost & Information.

A short summary of the biggest jobs we have done to our sailboat:

  • Engine Renovation
  • Plastic repairs
  • Interior improvements (mahogany strips & roof panels)
  • Fixing a lot of leakages
  • Upgrading the electrical system
  • Building a freezer box
  • Repairing and upgrading the mast and rig

Blog posts

Summer 2018 (Aug)

We bought our sailboat Anne-Mon early August 2018 and started our renovation. The first work was to get to know our boat and its flaws and to start the engine.

  1. We bought a sailboat
  2. Problem starting the engine
Autumn 2018 (Sep-Nov)

During early autumn we worked a lot with repairing the plastic cracks in the cockpit and when it became too cold we continued with engine.

  1. Cleaning and grounding the plastic cracks
  2. Repair plastic cracks with fiberglass and polyester
  3. Plastic crack with rotten wood
  4. Finalizing the plastic repair in the cockpit (for now)
  5. Repair the guardrail
  6. Cleaning the engine with EcoPar diesel
  7. Lift the engine out of the boat
  8. Teardown of Volvo Penta MD19 (outer parts)
  9. Disassembling internal parts of Volvo Penta engine
  10. Cleaning the engine parts and first layer of paint
  11. Draining and cleaning the bilge
  12. Finding spare parts for Volvo Penta MD19
Winter 2018/19 (DEC-FEB)

During the winter months we continued renovating our engine and the generator. We also needed to renovate the fuel tanks due to an accident.

  1. Assembling Volvo Penta MD19 (Part one)
  2. Diesel injection pump renovation and assembling the engine parts (part two)
  3. First start after service (and circulation pump renovation)
  4. Volvo Penta heat exchanger renovation
  5. Gearbox renovation and crankcase ventilation solution
  6. Fuel tank renovation
  7. Generator renovation
Spring 2019 (Mar-May)

At the beginning of spring we finalized the engine renovation and lifted the engine back into the boat. We started with an electrical system overhaul, cleaning the interior, repairing leakages and continued with the plastic repairs in the cockpit. We also started to prepare the masts for rigging.

  1. Before and After – Volvo Penta Renovation
  2. Cost for Volvo Penta renovation
  3. Lifting the engine back into the boat
  4. Installing our Volvo Penta engine
  5. First drive after Volvo Penta renovation
  6. Electrical system overhaul (and cleaning)
  7. Continuing with electrical system overhaul and our sails
  8. Easter tour and boatwork
  9. Cables, cables, cables…
  10. Electrical installation for the engine
  11. Alternator charges with too high voltage
  12. Fixing our leaking cowl vent
  13. Removing leaking window in cockpit
  14. Battery installation
  15. Sliding hatch renovation
  16. Continuing with the plastic repairs
  17. Mast butt renovation
  18. Rig for ketch rigged sailboat
Summer 2019 (Jun-Aug)

The summer months started with finishing rigging the masts, continuing with the plastic repairs in the cockpit and working with the repairs for the sliding hatch and the cabin door. We also had our first sail and went on our first sailing vacation in Stockholm Archipelago.

  1. Rope overhaul and cleaning halyards
  2. The mast stepping
  3. Renovation of leaking sliding hatch
  4. Our mistake of painting with gelcoat
  5. Hoisting the sails and first sailing
  6. Companionway door renovation – part one
  7. Final preparations before painting the cockpit
  8. Before and after painting the cockpit
  9. Cockpit work
  10. A new kick for the boom on the main mast
  11. Companionway door renovation – part two
  12. Propane installation
  13. Final preparations before our summer sail
  14. Sailing vacation in Stockholm archipelago – part one
  15. Sailing vacation in Stockholm archipelago – part two
  16. Sailing and boatwork
  17. Birthday celebration and boat work at Björkskär
  18. Electrical system work
  19. Fixing our fresh water system
  20. Mast track gate improvements
Autumn 2019 (Sep-Nov)

The autumn months started with continuing the summer projects, the rig, solar panel etc. We also bought a water maker and continued with the fresh water system. And went on some autumn weekend sails. After the sailing season was over we continued with preparing for our journey next year. We installed a holding tank, worked with electrical system and started some interior work.

  1. Our solution to reef the main sail
  2. New mainsheet traveler (and some other stuff)
  3. Weekend sail to Lådna in Stockholm archipelago
  4. Presentation of our Powersurvivor 80-ii water maker
  5. Autumn sail to Stora Nassa
  6. Sailing back to Stockholm city
  7. Holding tank – part one
  8. Cleaning the bilge and new holding tank plans
  9. Varnishing companionway and cleaning
  10. Holding tank installation
  11. Weekend work
  12. Our 230V electrical system
  13. New traveler car for the whisker pole
  14. Getting rid of diesel heater
Winter 2019/2020 (DEc-FEB)

During the winter 19/20 we have worked with the watermaker, started with our DIY autopilot project, a freezer and also done a lot of work on the interior of the boat. We also started to investigate and prepare for all the paperwork.

  1. Starting to install our watermaker
  2. Saturday boatwork
  3. Prepping for mahogany strips
  4. Buying our cruising sailboat
  5. New inlet socket for 230V & leakages
  6. First mahogany lists in position
  7. Plans for 2020
  8. DIY autopilot for sailboat – Part one
  9. Mahogany progress
  10. Insurance for cruising sailboat
  11. Our boat is starting to look fancy!
  12. Building our own freezer
  13. Budget sailing to the Caribbean
  14. Another leakage found…
  15. Service of our “new” Lewmar winches
Spring 2020 (Mar-May)

For the early months of spring we will continue with the interior, the autopilot and freezer. For the later months when the weather gets warmer we will have some plastic repairs to do and also some final fixes on the deck and for the rig.

  1. Freezer progress
  2. A short update
  3. Making roof panels for sailboat
  4. Replacing the rotten wood
  5. More freezer progress
  6. Deck leakage repair – part one
  7. New halyard winch for the main mast
  8. Freezer box and new electrical panel
  9. Hauled out!
summer 2020 (Jun-AUG)

Last summer before departure, we where hauled out and really stressing to get everything ready for departure. We got delayed about a month, but late August we finally started our big sailing adventure!

  1. Life on the hard
  2. Preparing the topsides
  3. Bad weather, fishing gear and insurance progress
  4. Small update
  5. Our days before departure

Under Our route you can see how we sailed and also all blog posts from our sailing trip is listed on that page.