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It was time to finally head in to Stockholm. We had reserved a berth at the Navishamn on the island of Djurgården, close to the centre of town.
Sailing past a small island near Dalarö, about 3 hours’ sail from Stockholm
Stockholm is protected by an immense archipelago and the only ways to approach it by boat are from the south via Saltsjöbaden or from the east via Waxholm or Värmdö. Since we were coming up from the south, and since we are not sailing a boat with more than 3 meters’ draught or 30 meters’ air draft, we were taking the southern approach. All larger, taller and deeper-draught boats need to arrive via the Oxdjupet (Ox depths) or the Kodjupet (Cow Depths) passages.
The southern approach to Stockholm
The eastern approaches to Stockholm. Most pleasure boats use the orange-coloured passage via Kodjupet.
The anchorage of Napoleanviken
We wanted to spend one more night at anchor before sailing to the city, so we selected the famous friday night anchorage of Napolenviken on the island of Ägnö, not far from Saltsjöbaden.
This chart shows where our bow anchor held and did not hold. GPS coordinates: 59°14’16″N 18°24’14″E.
Napoleanviken is often used by sailors leaving town on a friday evening, as it’s only an hour or two from the marinas and boat clubs around Stockholm
We were anchored in the tiny eastern side of Napoleanviken
This anchorage is perfectly protected from swell and almost perfectly protected from wind. If there’s a hard WSW blowing, it can come into the eastern part of the anchorage. This usually isn’t a big problem in the Napoleonviken.
Looking towards the western part of the anchorage
It’s best to anchor here “the Swedish way” (two lines ashore plus a stern anchor) but there are a few good spots to lie with a bow anchor. We tried several times in the wester part of the anchorage with no success. We finally got it to hold when we went into the eastern part. If you can anchor with lines ashore, there are many spots for you. I used lots of different spots when I lived here and had a 36-foot boat that was easy to tied up to the shore. We’re going to have to try with Freja next year!
Senna enjoying her morning swim in the Napoleanviken
On a Friday evening, you would see lots of boats moored up to the granite rocks you see in the background.
To get to Stockholm from the south, you need to pass through two narrow canals (straits) — don’t worry, they’re wide enough for a steamboat to pass through!
The Baggensstäket
The first canal/strait you’ll enter is called “Baggenstäket”. The draught here is 3 meters, so most pleasure boats will be able to go through. But if you’re floating around in a Swan 70, you’ll have a problem!
The second is the Skurusundet, which has a 30 meter bridge passing over it. This bridge is bow-formed, so if your mast is high, you’ll need to pass under the middle of it or you’ll won’t get the full 30-meter clearance!
One of the many fairytale-like cottages you’ll see on the way to Stockholm
You do need to keep a lookout on the bow for traffic coming towards you. A few passenger boats in regular traffic come through and they have the right of way. If you see or hear them coming (they will sound their horn before entering – one long blast), you’ll need to either back up or move to the side so they have enough room to pass. There are several areas too narrow for the two of you to pass side by side, so stay vigilant.
Lovely old pavilion along the Baggensstäket
If you have a motor, you are required to use it — sailboats are not allowed to sail through the canal. Stay on the starboard side of the canal while being careful of the marker buoys. This may sound like obvious information, but one of our guests assumed that you should stay in the middle of a fairway or canal, and we had to correct him.
Sometimes you won’t come upon a passenger boat, but something unusual, like a barge or small cargo ship. We were behind a barge called Tvättbjörn on one of our passages towards the canal. The skipper had announced his ETA to the east entrance of the canal on VHF every 5 minutes. A barge, being constrained in it’s ability to manoeuvre, has the right of way.
Have a look at the video!
Skurusundet
After passing through the Baggenstäket, you’ll go through the strait of Lännersta, and then through the scenic Skurusundet (Skuru strait). Again, the bridge has a 30-meter clearance, but that’s in the middle part of the structure.
The Skurusundet, just outside Stockholm
Boathouse along the canal
Upon exiting the Skurusundet, you’ll sail past the little island called Sverigesholme and “turn left” towards Stockholm. You’ll now see Stockholm in the distance ahead. After passing the large island of Lidingö (where I lived for several years), you’ll see the Fjäderholmarna (Feather Islands) on your starboard side. The main island hosts a couple of good restaurants. You can even visit them with your own boat if you can snag one of the few berths on the island. Otherwise, you can catch one of the shuttle boats that go out every 30 minutes or so from the centre of town.
Sailing through the Stockholms inlopp (Stockholm waters)
Some of the many archipelago passenger boats that run out of Stockholm. One of them is a shuttle that goes to the Fjäderholmarna.
Just after the Fjäderholmarna, you’ll have the island of Djurgården on your starboard side. The two marinas in Stockholm are located here. One is called the Wasahamn and the other is called the Navishamn.
Sailing past the western end of Djurgården island in Stockholm
The advantage of the Wasahamn is that it’s closer to town and a stone’s through from several of the major tourist attractions of Stockholm, restaurants, cafés, etc. The advantage of the Navishamn is that it it’s farther from the centre of town, in a somewhat peaceful area. So you have to decide what you appreciate more — a bit of tranquility in the city, or easy access to to most of the famous tourist attractions in Stockholm.
I’ll do a marina review and go through some of the famous tourist attractions in Stockholm in my next posts.
We decided that the Navishamn would suit us better, since a). we’ve already seen the tourist attractions on Djurgården, and b.) we prefer some tranquility!
After spending a day at the marina in Oxelösund, we were once again northbound for the Stockholm Archipelago. But before I get into the anchorages, I’d like to provide a short review of one of the two marinas in Oxelösund, because it’s a good stop for provisioning if you want to spend the next week or so at anchor. Oxelösund is the home of a big steel works, so it’s not exactly the most beautiful place you’ll see in Sweden. There isn’t any smoke pouring from smoke stacks, so the air is clean — it’s just not a very pretty site.
Sailing past Gamla Oxelösund (Old Oxelösund). Fisherman’s cottage.
You can chose between two marinas in Oxelösund. We stayed at “Oxelösunds Gästhamn” – it’s the closest one to the center of the small town – about a 15 minute walk. The other one is the Femöre marina. It’s farther away from town but has the advantage of having a restaurant right at the marina.
Sorry about the lack of photos, but it was raining hard while we were there!
The Oxelösund marina provides great service! We were met at arrival by a young man who showed us the best place to come alongside and took our lines. Although the marina doesn’t have a restaurant, it does have a small café that serves cold and hot drinks, snacks and — ice cream! All of the staff were kind and very helpful. The large ICA Kvantum supermarket in town has just about everything you’d need to provision, and it’s open from 8.00-21.00 every day. For those who hate to cook, there’s a good choice of ready-to-eat or -heat selections from the deli counter. It was still Swedish strawberry season, so we loaded up on some (a lot!) from a local organic grower.
Oxelösund Gästhamn Facts:
Total number of berths: about 100
Mooring Methods: Buoys, Alongside
Water depth: 1.2 – 6 meters
Facilities: Toilets, showers, sauna, washing machines and dryers, microwave oven, free WiFi, fresh water, electricity (50 SEK per day), bicycle and kayak rentals, play area for children, basketball and boules areas, black tank pump-out self-service dock, fuel dock, snack bar with outdoor seating.
The small town hosts shops and museums as well as a children’s “adventure land” called Boda Borg.
Prices per day (2016): 200 SEK (electricity is 50 SEK extra per day)
Telephone: +46 70 600 1105. If you phone just before arrival, someone will come to help you dock.
Ringsön
The routing from Oxelösund to Ringsön takes you through a fabulous part of the east coast archipelago chain. Be sure to pass through the “Stendörren” (stone door) on your way to Ringsön. It’s amazingly beautiful and it’s appreciated by all Swedish sailors who pass through.
Approaching Stendörren (the Stone Door) passage.
Stendörren – not far from Ringsön
Going through the Stendörren (the Stone Door) passage.
We discovered Ringsön with our friend and coach, Leon Schultz back in 2015. It’s a huge anchorage providing shelter from all winds.
Th approach to Ringsön via Stendörren.
At anchor in the southern part of Ringsön.
The nature at this anchorage is exquisite, seemingly untouched by man. We had a short swim, but the water was still rather cool at 18°C.
Anchoring spots on Ringsön. GPS coordinates: 58°44’1N, 17°26’38E
The weather had cleared up considerably.
Rånö
The route from Ringsön to Rånö takes you past the Landsort lighthouse, one of the most famous ones in Sweden. It also marks the southern limit of the Stockholm archipelago. You’ll also notice more summer cottages and fishing cabins on the islands, as we are now getting closer to Stockholm.
Along the route, between Ringsön and Landsort
The inner route takes you past Nynäshamn, a medium-sized town know for its huge ferries to both Gotland and Latvia. The marina is right next to the ferry terminal. If you didn’t stop in Oxelösund to provision, you can do so in Nynäshamn, which is a bigger town with a greater choice of shops.
We actually tried to anchor up at the island of Nåtterö, famous around Stockholm for its sandy beaches. We tried five times to get our anchor to hold in the cove called Östermarsfladden. To no avail – there was just too much thick seaweed growth on the bottom. Each time, it seemed to hold, but as soon as we got to around 1,600 rpm during our backing down process, we started to drag. Since we’re not happy until it holds at 2,200-2,500 rpm, out we went!
We saw on the charts that Rånö seemed to have a well-sheltered bay called Rånöhamn. It’s sheltered because the entrance is quite narrow, just as it is at Ringsön. It then opens up to nicely sized harbour. It’s great for all winds except for hard northerly. Just be careful not to anchor on the east side – there’s an underground cable there. Our Spade held on the first try, at about 10 meters’ depth.
Summer cottage at the Rånöhamn anchorage
Beautiful sunny day at Rånö
One helpful tip — avoid the urge to explore the island of Ängsholmen on the east side of the anchorage. Cows are kept there and attract horse flies. If you’re bitten by a horse fly you certainly know it! Ouch.
Approach to Rånöhamn. GPS coordinates: 58°56’12N, 18°10’39E
Fjärdlång – Mörkviken on midsummer weekend
The route north from Rånö to Mörkviken on the island of Fjärdlång takes you past the wonderful marina of Utö. You can read about it in this post.
Beautiful summer weather on the way to Fjärdlång
The views are just incredible in the archipelago!
Mörkviken turned out to be perhaps a favourite anchorage in the Stockholm archipelago. There are actually two parts to this anchorage — a small inner harbour which is perfect if you want to anchor up the “Swedish way” (two lines ashore with a stern anchor), and a much larger outer harbour – perfect for dropping your anchor off the bow.
The outer part of the anchorage in Mörkviken on the island of Fjärdlång
That wonderful moment after the anchor is dug in, you’ve filled in your log book and you’ve gotten the dinghy in the water. Jacques takes Senna out while I wait onboard to really make sure the anchor isn’t moving anywhere. We usually wait an hour before leaving the boat unattended.
If you chose the inner harbour, you need to hug the western cliff face quite closely to get past the two underwater rocks. We noticed that most of the to-land/stern-anchored boats were using the finger-shaped out-cropping on the southern edge of the anchorage.
The inner part of the Mörkviken anchorage
We chose the outer harbour. We had winds from the southwest, and the forecast for the next couple of days was for weak winds from the S to SW. As you can see from the chart, the outer harbour would not be good in winds from the N to NE.
The anchorage of Mörkviken – here you see the inner and outer parts of the harbour. GPS coordinates: 59°03’3N, 18°31’21E.
Our anchor held on the second try, in about 12 meters’ depth. It was now time to get Senna into the dinghy and take her to one of the islands to take care of her “needs”. Afterwards, it’s time for a swim. She loves to swim and we’ve started to follow alongside in the dinghy. It’s great exercise and the low salt content in the Baltic waters doesn’t leave her sticky and crusted with salt.
Senna getting her exercise
It was midsummer — the weekend following the summer solstice — and everyone was celebrating with BBQs, herring and potatoes, music and lot’s of drinking. We ended up staying here for three days — it’s just that lovely. We worked on boat maintenance (mostly cleaning and polishing) had a few short swims and explored the anchorage by dinghy during long sunny days of midsummer. It’s not always sunny and warm during mid-summer, but in 2016 it was!
View towards the entrance of the anchorage. Our boat Freja is on the left.
The beautiful midsummer light at about 10.30 in the evening.
Our favorite anchorage discoveries of 2016, Part one:
Northern Kalmar Strait, Gryts Archipelago and St. Annas Archipelago
We left Kalmar marina with a great sense of anticipation — within the next 20 or so nautical miles, we would entering archipelago country! Archipelagos and the natural anchorages among the thousands of islands are the true reason for sailing in Sweden.
Sailing northbound in the Kalmar Strait, just north of Kalmar
This is the narrow entrance to the anchorage of Kiddeholmen
Kiddeholmen
We’d like to share our favourite natural anchorages in the various Swedish archipelagos , and here is one of our absolute favourites — Kiddeholmen. It’s located in the archipelago of the north Kalmar Strait (sea between the Swedish mainland and the island of Öland), just south of the town of Oscarshamn.
You have a great view of the famous (in Sweden) Blå Jungfrun. From a distance, it looks like a volcanic island. Behind Blå Jungfrun, you see the island of Öland in the distance.
The cosy anchorage of Kiddeholmen. There are a couple of mooring buoys but these are reserved for Swedish Cruising Club registered boats and have a weight limit of only 9 metric tons.
Jacques saw these seagull eggs while exploring one of the little islands
This anchorage is suitable for all winds, but might be a bit uncomfortable in this spot during easterly wind (looking east towards the open Baltic).
This photo was taken at around 10 in the evening. The light gives everything a golden tint.
Kiddeholmen info:
The approach is a bit nerve-wracking as it’s quite narrow just at the entrance. The depth, according to our depth finder, was 2.5 meters, but this always depends on the current sea level. There are no real tides in the Baltic, but barometric pressure and weather systems can have a great effect on sea levels. You can easily have one meter of difference from one day to the next if the barometric pressure changes greatly.
Once you’re past the entrance, Kiddeholmen gives you lots of good spots for putting down the anchor. The Swedish Cruising Club (SXK) has installed two of their blue mooring buoys for its registered boats, but they are safety-rated for only 9 tons or less. Don’t use them unless your boat is registered with the SXK — at least not during the high season between mid-June and mid-August. If you have a decent anchor, the holding is very good (thick mud mixed with clay). Our 55 kg Spade dug in pretty quickly.
Kiddeholmen Coordinates: 57°14′.68N, 16°30’43E.
The star is where the anchor went down – perfect for the light SE winds we were having and being forecast for the next day
The anchorage of Älö
We stayed on the inner archipelago route on our way north. Although it’s much slower to weave through the thousands of islands on the east coast, it’s so much more interesting, not to mention beautiful, to use the inner fairways.
The ever-changing landscape with its forests, small farms, fishing villages and summer cottages makes the voyage more entertaining. The sailing is more challenging as well. No “auto-piloting” here — it’s hand-steering once you get into the archipelago.
Charting a course every morning would be ridiculous. You’d have to plot a hundred different course changes every day. No — you just have to use your charts and your eyes. This is the way I learned to navigate back in the 80’s and sailed in the Stockholm archipelago. GPS had not yet been invented.
On our way up to the anchorage of Älö.
We chose an anchorage that wasn’t far away — just 20 nm or so — so that we’d have more time to relax, take Senna for a walk on one of the islands or have a swim, and then prepare a good dinner. Our first choice was Stora Vippholmen, which you see on the chart below, just south of Älö. That tiny anchorage was full, however, when we arrived.
Small but utterly charming anchorage of Älö — here you see the typical Swedish red and white houses and cottages.
We continued on to the anchorage on the north side of Älö and we were so happy we did. It is so peaceful and idyllic – it looks as if time stopped in the 1950’s!
The islands here were used purely by fisherman and their families – now, about half of the houses are summer holiday/weekend cottages.
Boat houses on Älö
Relaxing with Senna. The flush hatches and Air-Only dorades make so much more space available on the foredeck.
Älö info:
The entrance to the anchorage is just off the marked fairway, north of the lighthouse “Mannen” and south of the lighthouse “Tunnholmen”. It’s quite narrow, but large enough for our boat that measures almost 5 meters across. Just a warning, don’t try this anchorage if you need more than 2.5 meters of depth. Again, check the sea level forecasts to determine if you can go in or get out again. If you have just enough depth to pass through today with 1015 Mb, what will you do if there’s 1029 Mb forecast for the next 2 days?
Keep in mind that the depths written on the charts are average depths, not the lowest astronomical tide (LAT) depths.
The holding in this anchorage is excellent — our Spade dug in almost immediately and didn’t go anywhere when we backed down at 2500 rpm, despite the short scope (25 meters out for 4 meters of depth). It’s a small anchorage that already hade 3 boats in it, and we were afraid a few more boats would join us. One other large sailboat did come in after us and it anchored just behind.
If you have a dingy, it’s worth getting into it and exploring both the nature and the boat houses dotting the periphery of Älö island.
Älö Coordinates: 57°32″40N, 16°41″13E
The anchorage just north of Älö is just off the marked fairway
North to Smågö, a “farm country” anchorage
The winds for the next 2 days were forecast at 20-25knots from the east. With that kind of forecast, you generally avoid the outer islands which tend to be quite low. They also have less vegetation, especially of the tall tree variety. No tall trees = no wind protection. The photo below gives you an idea of how the outer islands look.
Sailing northbound to Smågö, our next anchorage. Such beautiful weather!
We shared the beautiful and tranquil anchorage of Smågö with a herd of cows
These cows loved to be close to the water
Smågö is about 45 minutes from the north/south marked fairway, but it’s well worth the voyage. You turn northwest to follow the fairway that ends in Loftahammar (at 57°49″N, 16°49E), then turn west when you see the marked fairway that begins north of Rågö (1 red and 1 green mark).
Happy hour on one of the islands.
The weather was so warm and the water so clear that I just had to go for a swim. The water was cold though, so we didn’t stay in for very long! We liked this anchorage so much that we stayed for three nights! That gave us a change to do some cleaning and preventative maintenance on the boat and still have enough time to relax with a book and a glass of wine at the end of the day!
Half moon tonight
We spent the first evening alone, but on the second one a cruiser from the Netherlands joined us
Smågö Info:
The anchorage is huge and you can find shelter from any wind here. You can also go in between Smågö and Solidö. The holding is good once you’re dug in, but you’ll need to find a spot that is sea-weed free. We needed three tries to get the Spade in. The type of seaweed that has air bladders (Bladder Wrack) grows in abundance here, and in the spring and early summer, it’s hard/impossible to see from the surface of the water at 5-6 meters of depth.
If you like to moor up the “Swedish way” (a 3-point mooring with two lines to 2 different trees on the island and a stern anchor), there are a few places that will accommodate you but not as many as you’d think. The shoreline is so rocky that we had a problem finding a place to approach with the dinghy.
A large garbage bin for cruisers has been placed on the island of Smågö. Something to keep in mind if it’s been awhile since your last marina visit.
Smågö coordinates: 57°51″45N, 16°40″36E
About 45 minutes from the marked fairway that goes north/south, but worth the trip.
Risö – last anchorage before crossing Bråviken (fjord that goes west to Norrköping)
When we arrived at Risö, the weather was still half-sunny. But that was about to change.
Risö is a lovely anchorage for boats that draw less than abut 2.2 meters. Our sounder gave us 2.3-2.5 meters here where we lowered the anchor
The next morning, the skies were grey. We would have rain for the next 24 hours.
A small low-pressure system delivered light rain during the night. The skies were telling us that it wasn’t over yet and the local forecast called for heavy rain for the next 24 hours. We would have rain for the Bråviken crossing and up to Oxelesund, where we had reserved a place at the marina. We needed to go grocery shopping!
Risö Info:
Entry to the anchorage is easy, just don’t try to slip in between the east cardinal and the tip of the island. The shore is shallow and rocky. There is room for “Swedish mooring” for 3-4 boats depending on their size, on the island south of the red star that marks our anchor (see the boat in the first photo ).
The anchor holding is concrete-strong (dense clay). Unfortunately, it’s so much like concrete that it’s really difficult to wash off. Be warned — it took us 15-20 minutes to spray the hard and sticky clay off the anchor!
This anchorage provides good shelter from all winds from the southeast, south and west. We had southeasterlies while we were there.
Risö coordinates: 58°24″34N, 16°53″36E
Risö is just a short hop from the marked fairway that runs north/south
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