Sweden forms half oft he Scandinavia Peninsula, dividing the Baltic Sea from the North Sea.
The country’s two coastlines offer an infinite variety of cruising. On the west coast the most attractive cruising area is from the Norvegian border to Göteborg.
On the east coast the most picturesque region is the Stockholm archipelago and the area to the south of it. You can sail here a whole summer and still discover new bays and islands!
Besides the coastal waters and offshore archipelagos large areas of Sweden are broken up by many lakes, some of them are linked to each other and accessible to sailing yachts.
The only drawback may be some unsettled weather, but then again Swedes often say ”There’s no bad weather, just bad clothing” …
Mostly the navigation is straight forward – there are many buoys and navigational marks to guide you around the coast. But as soon as you get outside the marked trails there are nothing but a myriad of islands, lurking shoals and a fun filled (at least as long as you know exactly where you are) navigation with the occasional challenge.
We recommend to visit:
Just a few minutes away from the city of Stockholm, the archipelago begins. With nearly 30,000 islands, islets and rocks — from Arholma in the north to Landsort in the south — each with its own character. Rugged nature blends with wooded islands, rocky cliffs and sandy beaches. Enjoy tranquil coves or the open sea where waves can go high. Explore uninhabited islets as well as islands with new communities and ancient villages.
The red granite islands with hardly any trees and with the white painted houses clinging on to the rock are a personal favourite. And the few, but extremely picturesque and pretty villages with the small harbours are popular during the summer holidays.
The Karlskrona archipelago
Starting just outside Västervik it stretches until Arkösund, just north of the entrance into the Göta kanal. The main inshore route is well travelled, but not that many deviate and discover what’s a few hundred meters away – do that and you may be well rewarded.
Very few boats, but beautiful with its rugged coastline has been chosen a World Heritage Site. Small fishing villages, particularly Ulvön and Trysunda, can be visited and it’s also the place for the fermented herring (“surströmming”) which is an aquired taste even for Swedes.
It is Swedens premier leisure waterway. 150 miles of the canal take you from Mem, about 150 miles south of Stockholm, through Lake Vättern, to Sjötorp on Lake Vanern. The canal itself is a series of man made links between some exceptionally beautiful natural lakes. Together with the Trollhätte Canal, the Göta Canal forms a continuous waterway through Sweden from west coast to east coast.
Moderate climate with strong temperature fluctuations. Temperatures up to 25 ° — 30 ° C are possible with a consistently high air pressure. Moderate westerly winds up to 3-4 points prevail in summer. In narrow passages between islands, a nozzle effect is possible. Significant currents can also meet here. These factors require careful navigation and an experienced crew.
Excellent air connections between Gothenburg, Stockholm, Helsinki, Turku and Tallinn.
Ferry communication with St. Petersburg and other major cities of the Baltic Sea countries.
