Some news from Libertaire after these 4 months spent in France. Alongside returning to work at the hospital, we continue optimizing our sailboat.
In preparation for welcoming a new crew member at the end of June, we transformed the forward cabin to make it more functional and welcoming. In doing so, we added a watertight bulkhead isolating the bow.
We realized during the last month of sailing that the energy balance was poorly balanced in winter, with the solar panels not providing enough energy for the electronics and fridge. A wind turbine was therefore installed as a supplement.
We are starting a complete engine overhaul before tackling the electronics: we plan to install an autopilot and a wind vane-anemometer to simplify navigation. (the regulator is perfect offshore but as soon as we approach the coast, it becomes temperamental due to often unstable winds, both in strength and direction).
Finally, a small bonus, we finished assembling some video footage that amazed us this summer: - the "film" Arctic Summer 2013: Enjoy the show ;-)