east german pilotheavy metal rings on the shore for your lines. there are no facilities, although...

A SAILOR'S GUIDE TO THE EAST COAST OF SWEDEN

NICHOLAS HILL

Using this guide.This pdf is designed to open in 'Full Screen Mode'. Toreturn to a more 'standard' view, simply press 'Esc'(Escape). If you wish to return to the full screen layout,press Ctrl + L. You can also view the document in'Reading Mode' press Ctrl + H. This hides the toolbars.Various other options are available through the menuView > Zoom.This account is based on a voyage made betweenApril and June, 2012. The pictures and descriptions arefor guidance only, and should not be used for thepurposes of navigation. The opinions expressed areentirely my own. Facilities within the harbours may wellhave changed between then and now. The figures forlatitude and longitude should be taken as beingapproximate only and should be checked against yourcharts.This is in no way intended to be an exhaustive guideto the east coast of Sweden. There are scores ofharbours in addition to the ones listed here. However,the route outlined is quite straightforward for the averagecruising yacht. All these harbours are within a fairly easyday's sail of each other. I have visited them personally,singlehanded, in a boat drawing 1.8m.

Some points to note about Sweden.You cannot pay for a bus when you get on board, butinstead you have to purchase a ticket beforehand. Thiscan be done in a supermarket.There are several supermarket chains in Sweden,but the most common are the Coop and ICA(pronounced 'eeka'). They will all take credit cards aswell as cash.Although many harbours will have WiFi, a moreconvenient method of getting Internet access may be bybuying a USB stick which connects to the mobile phonenetwork. The common Swedish network is Telia. You canget a 'payasyougo' contract which works out at around£25 a month (30 days). You can buy a top up at anysupermarket.Visitors' berths are very clearly markedwith the logo and name 'GASTHAMN'. It isfrowned upon to take a private berth evenwhen empty.Electricity sockets can either be thecontinental plug or, more commonly these days, astandard marina plug. Almost every guest harbour willhave electricity. If you are too early in the season, watermay not yet be available.Mooring is usually by stern buoy or stern anchor.Many Swedish boats are equipped with a reel attachedto the pulpit from which a tape unwinds with the anchorattached. Box moorings are rare.

At very many of the smaller harbours, there may notbe a harbour master as such, but there were may well bean 'honesty box' for your mooring fee.Many guest harbours have a clubhouse with anwashing machine, kitchen and television as well as theusual ablutions.Buoyage is generally good, but early in the season itis possible that some buoys have been pulled out ofplace by the ice. Leading lines tend to take the form oftwo triangles pointing up and pointing down.

There are many Internet sites which are extremelyuseful resources. In particular the site at kartor.eniro.se(note: no www) will give you sea charts for the whole ofSweden (use the tab labelled 'Sjokort'). Any charts oraerial views contained within this guide are screenshotsfrom that website.You will also notice various dashed lines on thesecharts and other Swedish charts. These are routes whichare guaranteed rock free. Follow the line and you can'tgo wrong.

Leading lines at Kurjorviken (somewhat enhanced!).A typical Swedish guest mooring; bows on to awooden staging, secured to a stern buoy. In smallerharbours, you may have to provide your own sternanchor.

This is a small island off the Swedish coast which isvery wellplaced if you are heading north from Germanyor Poland up to the East coast of Sweden. It is about 60miles from Rønne on Bornholm, or about 45 miles fromChristiansø. It is equally useful if coming from the west for example, from Karlskrona.From Utklippen to Kalmar is very slightly less than 50miles. All these distances can be sailed within a day.The approach and entrance look more daunting thanthey actually are. There are plenty of rocks around butthey are all clear of the approaches. There is not muchdifference in difficulty in either the eastern and thewestern entrances although it would be a good idea ifthere is much wind or sea to approach from the lee side.Once through the entrance you find yourself almostimmediately in the harbour although 'harbour' might beslightly optimistic since it is just a rectangular basin. Mostof the sides are fendered with truck tyres, as you cansee from the photos. In the season it may well becrowded, meaning you would have to raft up. There areheavy metal rings on the shore for your lines. There areno facilities, although one corner of the basin does havean electricity point.

The island itself is marvellously unspoiled andbeautifully scenic. It doesn't take long to explore, givenits size. Strictly speaking, it is two islands (plus a lot ofrocks) and if you have a dinghy you can go across to theother side where the lighthouse is.Shelter would be very good in almost any weather.

The aerial photograph and the view from the lighthouse are fromhttp://www.webbkameror.se/webbkameror/utklippan.

Kalmar has a very large yacht harbour and theapproaches are quite straightforward. The locals use theinner basin and there is some wooden staging along thequayside to starboard, just before you get to the yachtbasin, which visitors can use. Beware: even though theharbour is sheltered by the island of Öland, these berthsare uncomfortable in strong easterlies and you areprobably best tying up facing outwards.The city is quite attractive and the old city walls stillsurvive. There is a supermarket in a shopping mall whichhas all necessities. Visiting the castle is a must: it is wellpreserved and looked after. It is worth stopping for a dayor two to explore both the town and the castle.The railway station is very close to the harbour, incase you are changing crew etc.There is an excellent chandlery just a few minuteswalk from the yacht basin, which would be an ideal placeto buy sports boat charts, and other local items such asa mooring hook for stern buoys.From Kalmar to Byxelkrok at the top of the island of

Öland is 45 miles.

KALMAR

This is the final approach to the yacht basin. Thestaging can be seen to starboard.Below is an aerial view of the yacht basin.

Position 56º 40'N 16º 21'E

Byxelkrok is situated at the northern end of the islandof Oland, and is a useful stopping off point if passagemaking. It has the advantage that you would not have todeviate very far from your route to get there.

This was once a fishing harbour but fishing in theBaltic has effectively disappeared. Now there are twolarge pontoons and a long stretch of harbour wall to tieup against. It is very much geared to tourism today.There is a good supermarket within five minutes walk.

BYXELKROK


Position 57º 42.2'N 16º 45.8EA (very!) tiny harbour which was once a pilotstation. You would be expected to use a stern anchorand tie on bowsto here unless you are very early orlate in the season. Not entirely sheltered from the southor southwest. Approach is very straightforward. Thereis a restaurant just above the harbour. A usefulovernight stop, but not somewhere to stay.

A small harbour with little room for visitors. Theremay be some room to tie alongside at the quay, butotherwise there are some rather small booms. If you arestopping here, you might do just as well to anchor offunless you need fuel or water, since there are severalsheltered spots in the vicinity.The harbour is obviously much used by the localsloading and unloading supplies to take out to theirholiday homes on the islands.There is also a small shop with a limited range ofsupplies, as well as a chandlery.


A small island with a tiny harbour. It lies on the mainroute into Oxelsund and has had a lighthouse since1751. It used to be a pilot boat station and so there is aquayside where once the boats tied up.The chances of finding a berth other than out ofseason are probably small. There is a section of harbourwall immediately to port as you enter marked 'Gastplats',but I was warned against this by a local as it is fairlyshallow with rocks by the quay.According to the guide, the harbour is fairly exposedwith winds from various direction, presumably due toswell entering the harbour.


This is an anchorage made up from the shelter ofseveral islands each giving protection from a differentdirection and makes a useful passage stop. There aretwo Swedish Cruising Club buoys which you may makeuse of providing no one else is there first or that amember doesn't turn up. There is plenty of room toanchor, and shelter should be good except in the worstof weather.There is nothing in the way of facilities, although youcould take a dinghy ashore. One of the islands has a fewhouses, but little else.


This apparently is the Cowes of Sweden whereregattas are held in the summer.It is usually very crowded, and if you are just passingthrough, you might be better at one of the nearbyanchorages.There are two large areas for visitors with the usualstern buoys. You may see a sign which displays ananchor with a red cross over it. This doesn't mean thatyou cannot berth there but rather that you must not use astern anchor.There is a fuelling berth, a small grocery shop, and arather good fish restaurant, which for Sweden is quitemodestly priced.


Gräddö is a convenient spot to stop at on thenorthern end of the Stockholm peninsular. It is a littleexposed to the North, but well sheltered from all otherdirections.There are various places where you can tie up, butthe main one is the first jetty to port, and you tie on usingstern buoys. There is a notice to the effect that no morethan three boats may use one buoy!It is also a convenient spot to get fuel, there is an ICAa few hundred metres away, and you can also get a busto Norrtäljie. Mooring fees are, however, ratherexpensive in the high season.


It is difficult to avoid stopping at Oregrund, since it isreally the only harbour between the end of the Stockholmpeninsular and Gävle, although there is an anchorage onthe other side of the channel which is quite wellsheltered. The visitors' jetty is the first one you come to,and the outside may well be rather exposed to northerlywinds. There are some stern buoys available for thisside.If you tie up on the other side, then you pick up a linefrom the quay which you take to the stern and tie on. Youuse your own ropes from the bow. This is shown in theadjacent photograph.The town is very much dependent on tourism, and isquite pleasant. There is a reasonable ICA supermarketvery close to.


Gävle is not particularly yacht friendly. It lies down afjord, and the entry channel from the east needs somecare and attention (see chart on right). This channel isfairly straightforward, but you need to pay carefulattention to the buoys. The channel in and out from thenorth is very straightforward and used by the commercialshipping.There is a town quay, but it is filled with privatemoorings and there is no room at all for for visitors.There is a yacht club Fliskär a mile or two before youget to the town, but it would be some way to the towncentre.The town centre itself is quite extensive and quiteattractive. It has a wide variety of shops. There is also arailway station not far away.Given the detour that you have to make to get toGävle, it might be easier to go to Norrsundet instead andtake a bus into the city.

Position 60º 41'N 17º 13'E (for Fliskär)

This used to be a commercial port until relativelyrecently, so its somewhat rocky and tortuous entrancechannel is well buoyed. The yacht club lies beyond whatwas the commercial quay and care is needed on the finalstretch up to the visitors' quay. If in doubt as to wherethis is, aim for the crane, and you can't go wrong.One slight hazard is that the moorings are in a riverand there is a distinct current which flows at an angle tothe moorings. It is worth stopping for a moment andlooking at the buoys to see the strength and direction ofthe current.Norrsundet is very well sheltered and a good harbourto be in if the weather forecast is not good. Theclubhouse has the usual facilities and there is an honestybox for the mooring fees. There is quite a goodsupermarket about 400 m away. You can also get a businto Gävle from here, and if you want to visit the city, thisis probably a better bet.


The approach channel here is even more tortuous,but again, well buoyed. A good pair of binoculars isrecommended, however.You tie up against some wooden staging using thestern buoys provided, but be aware that the lefthand halfof the staging has a rock on which it is quite possible toimpale yourself (as I did). See the photograph for moredetails.There are the usual ablutions, but the only otherfacility is a restaurant, and it is the restaurant staging towhich you tie.


Beware of the submerged rock at the point marked with a red cross. As there were noother boats there, I thought I would go in past the last of the stern buoys and turn round totie up at the jetty. Coming past the buoy, I grounded on a rock and the boat rode up over it,leaving me stuck there. I needed a tow from a motorboat to get off.There is no indication that there is a rock there. Indeed, there are mooring rings all theway along the wooden staging. Boats with the shallower draft than mine could possibly usethis. If you are stopping at Axmar, then make sure you use the stern buoys provided.

This is a small former fishing harbour with a pontoonwith booms for visitors. They are on the short side butshould be wide enough at 4.m. Depth is a little limited ataround 2m. The harbour is somewhat open to thenorthwest.The harbour has little in the way of facilities otherthan a restaurant. There is water but no electricity on thepontoon. Any showers are well hidden. The toilets aresome way away and are chemical toilets in a smallwooden hut. As recompense the harbour charge is only5kr a night.


There are two mooring options: either going up to thequayside in the harbour or using the adjacent anchorage.The entrance to the harbour is not at all obvioussince there is no apparent break in the tree line until youare quite close. Once you have turned into the approachchannel, the harbour opens up, and there are somechannel marker bouys.The approach round and up to the quayside is verystraightforward. There are 6 or 8 stern buoys in front ofthe wooden staging by the restaurant. Apart from thegood but expensive restaurant there are few otherfacilities apart from the usual ablutions. Shelter is very

good in almost any wind.To use the anchorage you turn off the approachchannel early. There are some excellent leading lines(see photo). The entrance is narrow and you would needto take care in a brisk onshore south westerly. There isplenty of room inside and although there are someisolated rocks, it is fairly obvious where they are. Theholding ground appears to be muddy clay and weed.Both the harbour and the anchorage are set in veryattractive surroundings.


Sundsvall is one of the largest cities along this coast.In 2012, work was beginning on a new bridge which willcross the harbour, carrying traffic around the town ratherthan through it.The guest harbour is very close to the town itself, andaccess will be improved once the new road is complete.The guest harbour itself is relatively recent, and for thefacilities are excellent (including a free washer anddryer). Mooring is usually by stern buoy unless there isroom to tie alongside. The harbour may be somewhatopen to the east.

The town has an excellent shopping area, and agood supermarket within easy reach. It is an attractivetown and worth a visit. There is also a very largechandlery (Hertjmanns) about a mile away.Although Sundsvall is a slight diversion from a routeup the coast, it is less so than many such towns, is auseful stopping off point for supplies and other shopping,and well worth exploring.


Bonhamn is a small harbour, which was once afishing village, north of Sundsvall. It can be thought of asmarking the start of the High Coast.It Is likely to be crowded in the season, like all theharbours along this stretch of coast.There are no stern buoys here, but instead boats tieon using a stern anchor. It would be possible to tiealongside, but it is unlikely there would be enough spaceto do so.The harbour and surroundings are very scenic, butthere is little else in the neighbourhood.


Ulvohamn lies on a narrow channel between twoislands, and is very well sheltered, although themoorings might be somewhat uncomfortable in a strongsoutherly. It is extremely picturesque, with an 18thcentury chapel for fishermen, as well as a more modernchurch. The winter population, as in all these islands, isvery small, and the town relies on summer visitors.There are various places at which you can moor, allusing stern buoys.It is a very attractive place, but with limited facilities.Right: inside the original eighteenth century wooden chapel at

Ulvohamn.


Trysunda is regarded as one of the most beautifulharbours of the High Coast. The approach is quitestraightforward, and the visitors berths base you as youcome into the inlet. There is the usual wooden stagingwith stern buoys. The clubhouse facilities are just abovethe moorings.

The village is not very large: you can see the fullextent of it from the photograph. There are no shops, butthere is a small kiosk selling teas which may be open.The harbour itself is well sheltered, but the visitors'moorings are a little open to the south.


The entrance is straightforward although care mightbe needed with strong onshore winds. There is a goodleading mark which, according to the chart, you need tokeep inside the harbour entrance.There is a tiny harbour once used for pilot boatswhich takes you slightly by surprise as you come roundthe corner. It is well hidden. You might squeeze 6 or 8boats in with a good deal of luck! There are two electricalsockets. Water is available. Toilets are of the chemical

variety. There are apparently showers.There is a small kiosk cum restaurant by the quay butlittle else. It is a pleasant spot for an overnight stayalthough probably better avoided at weekends.If the pilot station is full then there are buoys in thebay which is quite well sheltered.


Position 63º 42'N 20º 21'EPatholmsviken is a useful harbour if you wish tovisit Umeå, which has a railway station and anairport, but otherwise the harbour has little to offer.It is set in rather industrial surroundings, withdocks and paper mills as the main view. Theclubhouse is friendly and welcoming, and has goodfacilities. It is about a mile walk to the supermarket forprovisions.Mooring is by the usual stern buoy.

This is at the top of the island of Holmön and theapproach is very straightforward. The harbour rapidlybecomes very shallow, so you need to turn to port assoon as you can, and you will see all the stern buoysbehind the harbour wall. You tie up to a high woodenstaging. There is water and electricity, and the usualfacilities ashore, including an honesty box for yourmooring fees.There is a small shop at the other end of the harbour,but apart from that the facilities are rather limited.


Kurjorviken is the yacht club which serves Skellefteå– various bridges prevent you going up to the town itself.There is a slightly industrial approach to Kurjorviken,and then, once past the recycling factory, there is a fairstretch of water before you come to the yacht club, andthe entrance is not terribly obvious. The gap is rathernarrow but there are leading lines, which are not veryconspicuous, but useful when you have found them (seeabove). There is a visitors' jetty – you need to turn roundthrough 180°, and you tie alongside. There is the usualSwedish yacht club with excellent facilities, and you areexpected to leave money in an envelope to pay for yourstay.There is quite a reasonable supermarket about a mileaway.


Luleå lies quite some way up the river. There is amain approach channel used by commercial shipping,but there are also various other routes. They are all wellbuoyed.There are two very large icebreakers (see photo)and, about a mile further on, is the main yacht harbour.To find the visitors' berths, you need to turn hard to portas you come through the entrance, and there are a halfdozen or so boom moorings available.There is an excellent and wellstocked chandlery,which also carries out general boat repairs. If you needanything fixing, this is a good place to have it done.There is a supermarket nearby, and it is a short walkinto the town. This was originally wooden, and burneddown. Much of the present architecture is rather dismallate 20th century, and not very appealing.


Haparandahamn may be regarded as journey's endin the sense that it is the northernmost yacht harbour inthe Gulf of Bothnia. It is some way from the town ofHaparanada, and although it has rather a pleasant littleclubhouse, facilities are rather limited.You cannot reach the town itself by boat, becausefirstly, the channel is probably too shallow for theaverage yacht, and secondly, there are bridges in theway!

The harbour does not have an awful lot to offer otherthan the achievement of having made there, although itis also a useful jumping off point for crossing over intoFinland.


east german pilotheavy metal rings on the shore for your lines. there are no facilities, although...

Documents