I think the biggest challenge you faced was not the work, it was the stress and tension, not to mention the fatigue you endured through it all.The true beauty is the love, patience and strength you gained from each other. Florence is looking great, but your love and devotion to each other truly brings life to her. God Bless !

Good to see Florence back in the water. She's looking amazing, really reflects the hard work you have both put in, congratulations on a brilliant refurb.

The two of you are such a compatible couple in every way. Love Amy's blue dress. It really illuminates your lovely smile.

You two are a loving couple. The end of this video was emotional with you explaining the hard work both of you endured. Very nice of your parents to cook you meals and have a place to stay. All the best to future adventures.

Matt, Amy, your refit and upgrades are just wonderful. Personally, having owned some sail boats in my own past, I think your knowledge base of Florence, all the refit parts and their function is HUGE, and the bigger part. WELL DONE, folks. I have watched for a long time, your circumnavigation. Have grown truly fond of you, way more than I deserve, as I’ve watched and listened to you and you wouldn’t know me. Please know that there are a lot of us that care and worry for you out on blue water. May God be with you….from east Tennessee.

Your honesty and transparency at the end of this refit video is the true inspiration. You are both legends. Thank you. C

I've said it before and I'll say it again (and again...) BEST sailing channel on KZfaq! Reasons being: Amy, Matt and the invincible and beautiful, Sea surfing FLORENCE!!! Let's go! ⛵️

As someone who has built 4 boats (and was working on them today) I really like the addendum you put on the video. I see a lot of videos from people who make refits look easy and fun. There will be times when you wish you hadn't started and the only thing you can do is grit your teeth and plug on. The vast majority of popular yacht sailing videos do not show the real world of ownership and the mental struggles to keep on going when life is passing you by and you make very slow progress on the build. So great advice to keep things simple and get out there. Cheers Phil

All I can say is WOW! Florence is beautiful 😊

You two have made what could have been a very boring vlog and turned it into a great one. Keep it going for many years to come.

Everything looks great! One note as a long time cold weather backpacker- you can permanently decrease the loft (and therefore the r-value) of down gear (jackets, sleeping bags, etc.) by storing them under compression. The jackets-as-pillow-stuffing idea is a clever use of space, but I would be careful not to damage your warm weather gear over time by keeping them stored like that.

FLORENCE is looking ship shape and ready for sea ,nice work done by you both

If you ever done ordinary maintenance on a boat,you can imagine how much work you two have done this winter. Well done and fair winds,from Tomas in Sweden. Hope to see you here this summer. 🥰🥰🥰⛵️⛵️⛵️

She looks beautiful now and fit for sailing. Looking forward to watch your top class videos. Thanks for sharing.

What nice people. These video's are a pleasure to watch.

I truly feel is the first time someone gives a reality check ! Well done. You guys rock ! ❤marina

Congratulations, well done. Amazing the work you've achieved. Someone once said, "A boat is a hole in the ocean, into which you pour money." Looking forward to further adventures with you and Florence. Thank you for sharing. Take care and all the very best from down here in Nz.

I moved up to a Heritage from a Contessa 32. Beautiful boat and identical to 'Florence' except you have done so much more to her and she looks brand spanking new. I hope that you have many happy years together sailing in safety and comfort. Incidentally my boat Velindra' was sailed to Australia where she was sold.

Thanks, you two for showing Florence off after your dedicated hard work. I was one of the subscribers that said at the beginning of the refit that you were really pushing it only giving yourselves 6 months to do the work you wanted. You did however accomplish a lot more than I expected job very well done. Florence looks absolutely revived. Let's hope the northern climates and weather are nice to her. until next video stasy safe and hope the new sails do arrive for next video cheers

So glad you added the coda at the end about the realities of what you've just undertaken. Compressing 12-18 months of refit into 8 months is simultaneously heroic and totally crazy, not to mention filming and editing and managing a YT channel along the way. So fantastic to see Florence looking so great, and you both smiling at the end, but the sheer amount of blood, sweat and tears you've mostly left to our imaginations and having been there I know what an amazing feeling it is to actually get out there again. The best bit is how quickly the pain recedes in our memeories. Amy, your toe-rail synposis rings very true to us too . There are so many jobs that we seriously regretted undertaking during and in the immediate aftermath, and now are grateful every day that we did. Congratulations and happy sailing!

Having sailed thousands of miles on the oceans with B&G very similar to that, I think you'll love it. Their wind display is brilliant for sailing. (the one you are showing on the inside of the boat tour). Much nicer than the Garmin/Raymarine alternative. The Lithium battery system will transform your cruising experience - especially in high latitudes. Love your new dodger setup and the interior changes. Rolly Tasker has done well for you guys. I'm much impressed with them. I'm not under any misunderstanding of the work required to do all of that. Great job all around!

I recently cleaned up a rental house. It took 5 months to go through it: Carpet, paint, HVAC updates, insulation, re-stained the kitchen cabinets, appliances, etc. There's no easy way out on that stuff. Either fix it now or fix it later. Looks like Florence will be up to whatever comes her way. Well done.

You have done amazing work to make your boat an Artic Adventure. I look forward to viewing the Artic Adventure of a Life Time. You have earned this new travel experience.😊

Great job guys! True voices of experience, absolutely golden info for all prospective cruisers. Thank you for being so detailed and informative. Using cushions to store thermal clothes.... Bloody BRILLIANT idea! You never have enough cushions and those thermal clothes take up so much needed room in the limited wardrobe space. Seriously brilliant!

what a fabulous couple I with you all the very best in your adventures, as a sailor I think your positivity is commendable. You are Bothe very talented people and the work you have achieved is brilliant you should be very proud of your boat it looks stunning. I wish you a happy season of sailing and please keep the video's coming.Kind regards and may the wind be always at your back.

Stoked for this video... I think we have all been waiting for this one. Also, nice touch wearing the matching blue!

ALL THAT in eight months - absolutely incredible. Thank you for taking us along. And greatest thanks for sharing the reality of what the refit demanded of you, That is such an important message to all the folks who take inspiration from your efforts (and results) but have less experience. Signifcant repairs, and even some routine maintenance take a greater toll on persons' mental health than most would imagine. Our rule has always been to double the time (and usually the cost) assumed in our initial estimates of work on our boat that we plan to do ourselves. Reality has a nasty side. For us, it means that we sometimes bite the bullet and outsource to professionals the tasks that require more skill, experience, and/or tools and equipment than we have. Our experience has been that doing so often doesn't exceed our "double the assumed cost" rule by very much and almost always results in a better result attained more quickly. Then we go boating. We're in our late 70's now, so that objective is taking on greater priority in our decisions. It will be wonderful to see your new adventures on the water. As others have said, yours is our favoriate sailing channel. Fair winds. Following seas.

Truly impressed with all the work you have managed to do this winter. As I am in the middle of a big refit myself I know everything about what it takes. Well done👏👏 Now enjoy the labour and fair winds⛵️ (and welcome to Norway☺️)

We appreciate your videos so much! And, hope that you got some quality time with your loved ones, as well. And God bless your folks for their generous hospitality and support of this project! All blessings and fortunate cirumstances to you and yours! 😊

Congratulations on an amazing job well done! No way did I ever think this was an easy refit. I got tired just watching all you did! Looking forward to your sailing Florence to the north! Safe sailing!

What a great job, she looks great and I wish you many more miles of sailing. The videos are superb, keep up the good work.

Amazing. You must be so proud.

Norway to Scotland, Iceland and all the islands...like Eric. So cool and so daring.

Florence is looking great! Good for you for keeping it Authentic and realistic. Keep up the great work and I look forward to your northern voyage. Wishing you both fair winds and following seas! Cheers 🤙

You two are amazing... as are your parents! I look forward to seeing the next leg of your adventure.

Been watching sailing channels for a few years, nice of KZfaq to recommend some fellow brits 🇬🇧 for a change. Boat looks amazing good luck with your adventure.

I am really looking forward to your new adventure, you two are the best.

"Florence" looks magnificent! A furler with a luff wire is great! I had a ~160% genny with a wire on my 1971 Grampian 30 in the '90s, the furler mounted just aft of the headstay. Old fashioned, and not great for reefing (i.e. partial furling) unless going downwind, but so convenient. The reefable working jib (yankee) and storm jib were hank-on, the furled genny being dropped and coiled on the foredeck followed by hanking on the smaller jib, Of course, the jib could be hanked on before furling and dropping the genny, provided it didn't interfere with the furler. Yes, I had to go forward, and the halyard and sheets had to be moved over to the jib, but that working jib was so efficient. Stepping and unstepping the mast was so much nicer not having to bother with the longer-than-mast extrusion and heavy furler, and in my opinion safer than the conventional furling jib which can get stuck on the extrusion, especially if partially furled. I always found conventional furlers temperamental on other people's boats.

She looks great, now! Lots of great reliability upgrades, too. You might consider guard-bars over the Dorade vents to keep lines from catching them. Maybe we'll see you out there in a few years. We just closed on our high-latitude ocean-crosser this week. We get our first real sail this weekend.

That blue colored dress really suits you. It highlights your eyes and smile.

Dear Amy and Matt. Long time viewer, first comment. The old girl looks quite beautiful and now, very modern and cozy. The wonderful result is a testament to your extraordinary work ethic, planning and love - for each other and for Florence. The emotion on Amy's face during your outro was very evident. It has been a long, hard slog, but I'm sure the rewards will be there. Much love to you both and hope to see you back in Australia for a future adventure! Fair winds and smooth seas!

Such an extensive refit project is so worthwhile, and the rewards will be when you are out cruising again. I'm amazed at what you achieved and the quality of the results from toerail, to insulation, electrics, and instrumentation. That cockpit 'tent' looks like a big improvement to life on board.

We call that workaholics here in the states. I have that disease myself. Work life balance is definitely a tough one to master.

Congradulations. Look forward to see you both sailing. Your refit did NOT look easy. Got the impression you worked your a**es off.

You have done a great job on Florence, you can be very proud of yourselves. We are looking forward to seeing you sailing again.

Terrific upgrades. I especially like the things like the bimini mods that are fresh ideas. I just bought a B&G chartplotter myself, but I've used them in the past. In cold wet weather, wet hands, in mittens or gloves... that touch screen is a bit difficult to use. Maybe a pencil holster and a 'touch' pen on it so instead of having to take hands out of gloves, just use the tool. About gloves. Last year I sailed from Vietnam to Canada, I brought my sailing gloves, but I also brought a pair of fleeced lined 'waterproof' rubber gloves. They weren't quite waterproof, but in the cold and wet of the north Pacific they were brilliant. (I have terrible circulation in my hands and feet.) I've 'upgraded' them to heavy rubber gloves and wool liners. Two pairs of each. One pair of 'rubber' gloves are very heavy duty nitrile with long gauntlets almost to my elbows (Just got them at the local janitor supply.) This way one pair of liners can be drying out while I'm wearing the other pair. I have a similar binnacle with the stainless arch. What I'd love to do is put a loop on it out to near the radius of the wheel so instead of grabbing at something out board, or the wheel, there's something inboard to reach for. And I guess you're used to climbing around the wheel. My boat came with a folding wheel $1000. Be hard to spend that money, but at anchor or tied it it's so much better for moving around.

Well, a lot of hours and energy have resulted in a quite outstanding ‘new’ Florence. Even without the interior varnish and other pieces, she looks quite stunning. The deck and deck gear are particularly nice, but then it _all_ is beautifully done. Enjoy the higher latitudes ❤

Florence is as good as new! Looking forward to your northern oceans videos.

How very excited you must be to go sailing on your marvelous boat. Keep it up.

There's a girl here in Canada who has started a slight craze with her curtains. She glued little dollar store magnets around her ports. Then made up two sets of curtains, one summer and one with insulation, of course with magnets sewn in. You can do them in halves to give some control.

You both, and Florence, all deserve smooth sailing with fair winds. The journey so far has been such a pleasure to follow. Looking forward to seeing your next destinations. 😊❤🇦🇺🌏

Glad to see 🙏

Very good to see you add the disclaimer about the amount of work and time you put into the refit. Kudos to you both for getting so much done and extra recognition for warning others that what you did to Florence in seven months was not standard amount of effort. Your videos are lovely to watch and you both do an excellent job of explaining what, why and how you are doing things. We hope to see you out on the water sometime (currently we are in Plymouth).

Wow wow wow!! Just an epic job you guys have done. Florence is back to being the Lady she is. 👏⛵️⚓️🥂

Fabulous job Matt & Amy! Florence looks Beautiful!! We admire your tenacity and ingenuity doing So Much deep detailed work on Florence!!...... And that was a nice touch talking about the reality of balancing time, work, and family...Truly videos can make a 4 week job look like 4 days! Thank you for that, I'm sure you've helped many people with your candor....We look forward to seeing you 2 toasty in the higher latitudes! 🎉

Highly recommend a air dehumidifier to keep condensation in control. We use it during cold spring and fall sails in Sweden (and when our 2 golden retrievers are wet). Also doubles as a drier when washing cloths and you can’t hang-dry outside.

She looks great. You two did a TON of work on her, and no it isn't easy.

Idea for your insulated blinds: For your blinds instead of suction cups you could attach bolt snap fasteners to the surround and blind and snap it in place; and have the blinds out far enough from the window that if you wanted to put in the insulation the blind would hold it in place.

I sure love following your adventures throughout the years. I can't wait to see what happens next. 😊❤

Florence looks beautiful…Looking forward to your adventures!Your videos are my favorite of all the sailing channels ❤

Well done so if you get back to New Zealand pop in for a cuppa ☕️

You two are extraordinary. As a boat owner of Antrice, slightly (3 years) younger than yours. I can appreciate the huge effort it took to get the boat to this high standard. Can I suggest as you head north this summer you look up “Ella in the Arctic” Ella is taking her boat north this Summer after its winter refit like Florence. Ella is using the time to train and refine her boat Yeva in preparation for a solo round the Arctic circumnavigation next summer.

Using pillows to store stuff is brilliant!

Yea,my favorite couple are going to be sailing again and making the best videos on utube. God bless you both with his loving grace,keep you safe and many many more years of love and happiness togeather.

Beautifull Boat, Beautifull People and amazing at what they do ! just brilliant.

Very good job. But I'm as impressed with the fact that you guys stayed on task, kept your goal in sight, worked hard at it and completed it as i am with the quality of the work.. That you didn't get to a few things is par for the course. Very comprehensive, and well done. Stoked for your season in the north.

You have done a great job refitting Florence,she looks beautiful I am now looking forward to watching the future sailing videos.Thank you for your time and effort…I just had a thought,I love the way your dress matches Florence’s paintwork.cheers,Roly🇬🇧.

I knew this was a huge undertaking, a lot like improvements to a house, 2 or 3 times longer than thought and mostly a lot more money. That being said, she looks brilliant! Looking forward to seeing you guys on the water next video! Congrats!

Florence looks like a new boat. Marvelous workmanship. At the end of your adventure, you may start a yacht making business. Wish you best luck.

Florence looks fantastic!

Florence is looking fabulous. One reservation. 400 watts of solar is not that much, especially in northern climes. I have a feeling an electric kettle might not be sustainable for regular use (along with essential electrical loads). No doubt you will still have a kettle for the gas cooker as a reserve. Looking forward to seeing your next sailing adventure!

Florence looks absolutely stunning. Well done you 2 massive effort.🙏🖖🇳🇿😎

Florence looks amazing!! All those sleepless hours have paid off, and I sure you both feel much better now that it is accomplished. Perhaps now, you two can take time to recharge mentally and physically (and maybe make peace for those cranky times) before starting your new voyage.

Amazing guys, you are a power couple and an example that hard works pays off. Your inspire people to chase their dreams and show that with enough hard work and dedication, anything is possible. Cant Wait for the next adventure

Florence looks wonderfull and very sympathic of you to be so transparent on the effort it took! That focused boat-work mode you describe is very recognizable! Since I grew so fond of you I take the liberty to share two concerns that rose when I was looking at the video: 1) the cushions: if you do not use them to sit against it may work, but as soon as you use them (and we use our cushions a lot on board) your puff jackets will reduce to no more than cushion filling. But that is not my major concern, my major concern is 2) the tapestry like material that you added to the wall next to your sleeping berths. The insulation beneath this material is a very good idea, but I expect that the tapestry will not prevent the formation of condensate, but it will hide it. Giving you less clues that you have to improve ventilation, also you can not wipe it dry as you can a normal cabin surface and hang out the cloth. Furthermore, it will gather dust etc . I therefore fear that in this way you unintendedly created the ideal mold growing spot next to the place you sleep, which is potentially very harmfull to your health... Just wanting you to be safe!

You did a fabulous job on your boat refit. So much work has paid off! I see it lasting for many years and it will be so enjoyable up north. Looking forward to your new adventures!

We put the Froli system under our mattress and we get no condensation and it’s much more comfortable.

You two have done an amazing job, and Florence looks beautiful x

Yes, I had thought you were a trifle ambitious in the winter time-frame, primarily because the jobs had been stacking up during your years away (which I had been observing). However, next winter should be a snip, AND in addition there will be much less wear-and-tear during the short season trip ahead. Now, let's see you go.!!!!

What a huge difference you guys are amazing. It would have taken me years to do what you did in 8 months and it would not have turned out nearly as well. You should be very happy with your accomplishments. I am also curious to know if the boat will be cooler with the new decks but I guess I will have to wait until you get back to the tropics to find out. Florence looks amazing and I can't wait to see your trip around England

You did an excellent job, I congratulate you both individually. We always find your posts sincere and we sincerely appreciate your sincerity.

thank you folks.. you are such an inspiration.. so decent.. so true.. so motivating.. take good care and fair winds forever.. greeting from Switzerland

Amazing and impressive that after being away for so many years that you’ve got so much done in so short a time (even though I suspect it doesn’t feel like a short time to you right now).

Wow Florence is looking spectacular! I’m not from the UK so if you spent the summer hosting your family and friends on Florence for day sails and short hops around the coast I wouldn’t complain it’d all be interesting and in fact more unique as I’ve already followed a few channels north through Scandinavia and the Arctic.

what a gem of woman. ive been watching for a long time now but that "detail" is ever present.

Great video and summary of what you did in your refit. I did a refit on a 25ft boat and it was so much work. I get why you wouldn't want to mislead people on how hard of work it actually is. My arms were just jelly from weeks and weeks of sanding. So much never ending sanding. Look forward to following along for the next part of your adventure

There are not enough superlatives to express my admiration for what you have accomplished, as a couple or as sailors. You are to be commended. So very grateful that you share your journey with the world. Thank You.

One of the most important things you can do is double “Glaze” your windows. Without double glaze you will forever have condensation dripping off. A window vac will be your best friend as you go North. The problem with the beds in the fore peak is moisture from you bodies which will condense against the hull below the mattress. Mould will be your worst friend. As I’m typing this I realise perhaps the best fix for this is one or two electric blankets under the mattress. You can get 12 volt 50 watt blankets. When you have surplus electricity or when the engine is running have them come on. Getting one was on my list for last winter but I never. Got to it.

all that hard work is now behind you (or at least most) and Florence is looking amazing. on to new adventures.

Springy pieces of plastic dowel fed into or across the yoga mat would work to pop your insulation into the window apertures. ( Heated rod would make vertical routes for the plastic dowel ) .. love the whole boat and the hands free staysail and VDH style Rustler dodger doors! Top job guys

You two make a great team.

Fantastic job - I understand the blood, sweat and tears that you have experieced over the last six months. Looking forward to seeing you sailing again. Hope you visit Sweden

She is looking fabulous! Looking forward to the next chapter. Bon Voyage!

Congratulations on a fantastic job well done. Florence looks amazing! Can’t wait to see you out on the water again.

My takeaway from the refit videos was "how on earth did they finish all of those projects in 8 months? They must have worked like hell non-stop." However, people should take inspiration from you. As you said at the end, they should also know it isn't easy and probably cost time, money, frustration, anxiety, and every other emotion known to man. Look forward to seeing you sailing again.

Good job! The three of you are looking fresh and ready for your next adventure. Good luck🇬🇧

Great to see you so close to resuming sailing 🙏

Well, Florence is looking #Mads "Super Spiffy"! Well done for your monumental effort! I must say one very important thing: Back in the winter of 2020/2021 wintering in Plymouth I also fitted the same stove as you have which I had fitted by a professional since I also replaced all the pipework. Whenever I used the grill my CO alarm would go off. I had the gas engineer check it and it turned out that the reading was something like 1400ppm (800ppm is fatal!!!) So PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE get yours checked out!

Varnish would definitely complete the girl’s makeover

Congratulations, amazing!! The next 8yrs will be even better :-) P.S. Love the pillow cushion storage!!