Writer: Helena Bergström
It happened just as Peter was about to start cooking a vegetable soup for us, for lunch. There was a power cut in the houseboat! It had been 13 degrees below zero at night and the ice was starting to surround us, so it didn't feel great ...
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Power cut in the houseboat
Everything went out: the lights, the stove, the dishwasher, the fridge, the boat alarm... None of the other boats along the jetty seemed to have problems, and we quickly realised that the fault was in our houseboat. The earth fault circuit breaker kept tripping.
It's never fun to have a power cut, and it can be especially challenging in winter, when it's cold. Right now, the ice is thick on Lake Ulvsundasjön and it is approaching our marina - which is trying to stay ice-free with the help of several large propellers in the water. When it gets really cold, there will still be ice here and there.
But then why did we have a power cut? After a while we realised that we had done and thing different this day - we had switched on the small heating cable that runs along the pipes with the inlet and outlet water, to prevent this water from freezing. Somehow the problem must have to do with this!
We immediately started hunting for electricians. We didn't want to be without electricity for too long! Sure, we can heat the living room by burning the stove, but there are many other things that stop working: the fridge, the stove, the lights, the toilet flush... well, most things!
While waiting for an answer from the electrician, Peter tried to troubleshoot. He switched off all the electricity in the boat and switched it on one fuse at a time, without switching on the heating cable. And just like that, we had electricity back!
At first we thought of asking the electrician to come anyway, to find out what the fault could be, but the electrician averted the whole thing. An electrician visit would cost least 3000 crowns, as a start, and maybe he would not even be able to do anything ...
Now we have electricity, which we are very grateful for. We haven't dared to switch on the heating cable yet though, so that will be a later problem...
Jobs and meetings in the city
We have mostly been at home in the houseboat this week, but there have also been some meetings in town. Among other things, at an embassy, where we had coffee with the new ambassador and discussed possible cooperation on tourism issues. A nice meeting!
This week: Grateful for ...
Right now we are grateful that we have electricity in the houseboat, and that we (so far) haven't had to spend a lot of money to solve it. In addition, we are grateful for some great collaborations that have come together. Every week I am also grateful for all the good food that Peter cooks here at home!
Your turn ... What are you grateful for this week?
The week ahead
We are still at home in Stockholm, for a little while longer. In the coming week we're going to an interesting travel event, but otherwise we'll mostly stay at home and work. We have several different development projects in the pipeline - on the website, at the travel agency and when it comes to events and fairs.
Here at FREEDOMtravel, we'll have a mix of content - including a ”behind the scenes” report. Have a great Friday and weekend!
Did you miss the last Friday Blog? Read it Wintery everyday life in the houseboat marina
You might also like:
To Åland with Finnlines - on new motorhome adventures
End of the long journey: Cape Town and Victoria Falls
Our South African friends are now visiting Sweden!
North through Italy - several nights of free camping
Friday blog: Three continents in one week - trying to catch up
Friday Blog: Skåne, Halland, Småland … and repeat
English (UK) 
Svenska
Jossu says:
The electricity is really something to be thankful for. Thank goodness it got going again.
This week I am grateful for my trip and everything I saw.
13 February 2026 - 6:29
Anna i Portugal says:
So power cuts, it is really an unprecedented monkey. In addition, it always comes in winter when one has the greatest need for electricity. So good Peter could fix it quickly! Have a nice weekend!
13 February 2026 - 6:51
Znogge says:
Electricity is truly something to be grateful for and you quickly realise how dependent you are on it. Especially in winter, it becomes particularly clear. Nice that Peter could do the troubleshooting himself. Husse here managed the same thing in December. So good that the electrician was honest there.
Have a nice weekend!
13 February 2026 - 9:42
Eval8 says:
Power cuts rarely come in handy. Good thing you figured out what caused it yourself. But that heating cable should be replaced, right?
I am grateful for the quick and good results from the mammogram and that we avoided the snowstorm that was promised yesterday.
Have a nice weekend!
13 February 2026 - 9:43
Sara i Barcelona says:
Gomorron Helena!
Wow, what luck that the power cut was solved smoothly without you having to fork out 1000 notes 🙂
When it is as cold as it has been up north, how does it work with the ice when you live in a houseboat, ie the ice that forms on the water around the boat 😀 Maybe a very stupid question haha...
I am grateful for many things, it has been a bit turbulent here of course with the fact that we suddenly have to move, but with that, other thoughts have opened up that make me feel grateful after all... the unfathomable ways of the universe perhaps?
Also other things on a personal level that I leave outside bloglandia 🙂
Have a great Friday!
Hugs
13 February 2026 - 10:11
Helena says:
Hi Sara! Not a bad question at all! The marina is supposed to be ice-free, to make it easier for the boats. There are big propellers that keep the water moving. But sometimes, when it's very cold for a long time, it freezes between the propellers... Sometimes the Pampas comes with a boat and breaks the ice...! Our houseboat has a steel hull so it should be able to cope with the ice, but it's better if it's ice-free.
13 February 2026 - 16:52
Anita says:
Phew! Thank goodness Peter got the electricity working and you didn't have to call the electrician. We're having a real winter this year. Tomorrow it will be double digits again. Right now it is snowing so spring feels far away.
Wishing you a great Friday and weekend!
13 February 2026 - 10:47
Anette Nilsson says:
We are grateful for this week out in the motorhome. Have driven around Vänern. We are dog guards this week. Sports holidays in Gothenburg and we have had one son's dog. More fun with new walking routes and the dog loves to go motorhome. But got to feel the feeling just now when the gas suddenly turned off. In this cold, we are happy to stand on the electric site and support with gasol. Suddenly the gas stopped. We know that we have left. Probably there was some trouble with the duo clutch and Stefan got it going again. But then we decided to go home. So now we are on our way to Gothenburg after cosy days on the roll
13 February 2026 - 10:50
Helena says:
Around Lake Vänern sounds nice! And so cosy that the dog is happy in the camper! 🙂 Too bad that the gasoline was fussy, hope it works out! In this cold you need that stuff to work!
13 February 2026 - 16:57
bmlarsreseblogg says:
Power cuts when it's coldest are not a hit, but it's nice that it was fixed without hiring an electrician. Here we are grateful that we finally got a sunny and nice day in Seville yesterday before the storm Nils moved in today (although we are thankfully on the outskirts). Looking ahead, it finally looks as if the weather is going to stabilise and we have probably become hardened over the last three weeks. We wish you a pleasant weekend!
13 February 2026 - 11:17
JoY says:
It's no fun when the power goes out, it gets cold and then everything you have in the fridge/freezer. Luckily Peter is handy and could fix it. The problem that is, you may have time to fix at a later date. Nice electrician who cancelled it. I can imagine that the ice around the boat is shivering and sounding, if there is no open water around it.
Our week has been of varying kinds: among other things, the Tutankhamun exhibition, ambulance trip, many calls regarding my mother's apartment that has had +10gr in the bedroom! But now we can take it easy and hopefully it will be a nice Heart weekend, which we do not normally celebrate, but will still do it tomorrow. Have a good time this weekend both Hugs
13 February 2026 - 16:21
Ditte says:
Tricky with the power cut but nice that Peter could solve it all so that you avoided an expensive electrician cost. Here in the canal there is partial ice but there are daily larger boats through Hammarbyslussen between Mälaren and Saltsjön so that the ice does not have time to settle and around the houseboats it is then ice-free. Then there is some current that also contributes because there is a difference in level between Lake Mälaren and Saltsjön. Hope now that you avoid more power outages.
It has been a good week and I am extra grateful to live in Stockholm with all culture within reach, this week both museum visits and ”soup theatre”. I have also had a film assignment and been on VIngresor and tested news regarding various things in connection with bookings with them that will come at the end of the year and at the beginning of next.
There has also been a book club here at home and it is so nice that we who met during the years we lived in Beijing continue to meet, eat well and talk books once a month.
Wishing you a great weekend.
13 February 2026 - 17:17
BP says:
How good you, or should I say Peter is at troubleshooting problems. Oh what luck that you found the ”culprit” for the power failure. it's supposed to be 19 degrees below zero tomorrow night. Then it wouldn't be much fun without heat. Because tea lights are totally overrated when you say they are heat sources;-)
Delicious food - yummy, yummy!
A big CONGRATULATIONS to various collaborations that have come to fruition:-)
13 February 2026 - 17:29
petra says:
How lucky you got the electricity on yourself so you didn't need an electrician on site,
keeping my fingers crossed for you now that it will continue to go well with the electricity, it's tricky to be without.the food looked wonderfully good, hugs and nice weekend and even today the sun is shining in sthlm but it's cold.
15 February 2026 - 10:51