Back in October 2024, I began the process of having Stani built. Over the following year, she moved from plans and specifications to fiberglass, teak, wiring, and systems. By November 2025, the build was complete.
Once I received the builder’s certificate from Hallberg-Rassy, the real paperwork began. With that document in hand, I could start the process of registering the boat with Transport Canada. Several forms needed filling and filing:
- Form 1 — Application for Registry
- Form 3 — Statement of Qualification for Vessel Registration
- Simplified Method of Tonnage Measurement
When my registration number finally arrived from Transport Canada, I moved on to the next step. Stani has a fresh radio installation, which meant applying for an MMSI number and securing a radio license for operating outside Canadian waters. That process runs through Canada’s Spectrum Management System. Another set of forms, another small but important milestone.
As soon as I received the MMSI number and call sign, I sent them off to Hallberg-Rassy so they could program the radio before handover. It’s satisfying to imagine those digits quietly embedded in the boat’s electronics, waiting for their first transmission at sea.
Insurance has been the one moving target. I was briefly led astray and applied through several European brokers. Each declined due to my Canadian residency. Lesson learned. I circled back to Acera in British Columbia, who currently insures my Dufour 360, and that feels far more promising. I’m expecting to hear back from them soon.
I had hoped to sell my current boat privately before leaving, but timing didn’t cooperate. I reached out to the broker who originally sold her to me, and they were happy to take on the listing. In the meantime, I’ve emptied her out, packing what I’ll bring to Sweden and closing that chapter with hardly any sentiment. She’s a great boat, but I cherish the memories far more than the object.
I’ve also shipped a few things directly to the yard in Sweden: a stand-up paddleboard, a set of pots and pans, and some flexible solar panels. Through Hallberg-Rassy Parts, the yard’s onsite chandlery, I’ve ordered a stack of spares, safety equipment, additional fenders and dock lines, and the courtesy flags I'll need once I clear into new countries. The rest I’ll source in Gothenburg after I arrive.
Andrew will join me for the first two weeks. We’ll do some provisioning and shopping in Gothenburg, then take delivery of Stani together on March 24th. The plan is to sail north to Norway to formally export the boat from the EU, then turn south, tracing the Swedish west coast before continuing down to Copenhagen, where Andrew will step off and I’ll carry on.
In the meantime, I find myself occasionally checking the webcam at Hallberg-Rassy’s harbour. Seeing frozen water there made me slightly concerned. I hadn’t fully appreciated that Ellös sits roughly 1,080 kilometres farther north than Victoria. It already looks like the weather is softening, and the ice is melting.
For now, it’s paperwork, logistics, lists, and packing.