Once we entered the canal, the engine, of course, started making strange noises from time to time. It got worse when we reached Lake Asplången 🌐 — the engine began sounding like a coffee percolator. Which, in a canal, is quite stressful, as we rely entirely on the motor and can’t sail if it breaks down. As long as we made it to Norsholm, we could inspect the engine in the guest harbour.
The first thing the lock keeper, Jonathan, said after the Asplången lock was, “That was slow — having engine trouble?” He kindly offered to ride along with us to Norsholm and open the locks on the way, but we declined since the guest harbour is located before the lock, giving us access to electricity and toilets.
We ignored the engine trouble and pushed on to Norsholm, managing to get there without stalling. Once we arrived, we started to seriously consider whether our 1970s engine should continue in service or be replaced. Our options were to take it apart and replace the parts we didn’t have, or simply buy a new, modern outboard. The next morning, as soon as the shops opened, we began calling boat dealers to check what engines they had in stock.
One shop had exactly what we needed — 🔗 Alvar Boats. We quickly jumped off the boat, caught the bus, and then the commuter train to Norrköping. Once there, we looked for a car rental — but the company couldn’t rent us one since all their cars were out on delivery. Odd, we thought, and began searching for alternatives. Back home in Gothenburg, we use the car-sharing service Sunfleet, which also existed in Norrköping. Within a minute, we had booked a car and briskly walked to Linköping University, where it was parked.
When we arrived at Alvar Boats, I barely had to say “5-horse outboard” before they recognised my voice from the phone call. They immediately began preparing the motor — filling oil, test-running it, and, of course, offering us coffee and cake.
Soon we were back at the boat, mounted the new engine, and started it on the first try. All the stress disappeared instantly. Now we were only locked in at Norsholm, as the canal had switched from high to low season — meaning only certain convoys passed and locks were opened on specific days. I went to the lock keeper to ask if there would be any lockings that day; there was only one — a 29-metre canal boat from England, and there wasn’t room for us.
Since we still had the rental car and nothing else planned, we drove into Norrköping, found a cosy brewery — Knäppingen — and enjoyed a meal and some of their house beers.
Back on the boat, we slept well again. The next day we waited for the upcoming convoy, which had started in Mem that morning. When it arrived, we managed to get a spot in the third lock-through. This one was tricky — situated right between a road bridge and a railway bridge. The canal company has trouble getting the railway bridge opened during rush hour, so the process was slow. We fit in only because our boat was the narrowest, squeezed beside yet another large German yacht, 🔗 SY Fairytale.
After that, it was a three-hour journey across Lake Roxen — this time in strong headwinds, which were no problem for the new engine. Quieter, more fuel-efficient, and capable of maintaining a higher, more consistent speed.
We’ve now reached Berg Locks — a staircase of seven consecutive locks. Today’s challenge: to master the ascent, rising 28 metres above Lake Roxen. That’s the mission for today!