Sailing Sweden’s west coast and the Gothenburg archipelago – July 2023

🧭 Factsheet

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📍 Our route & stages

Stage 1: Grenå → Bua

In perfect weather, we set off from Grenå towards Sweden. Right after leaving the harbour, we wanted to hoist the sails. So, we steered into the wind and let the autopilot hold the course. But unfortunately, this time it didn’t work. Before the mainsail was even fully up, the boom suddenly swung across. For some reason, the autopilot started steering in circles. We took over manually and kept on steering ourselves until sunset. At night – somewhere level with Anholt – we tried again. Same story: round and round. We lost faith in it completely and steered the rest of the way by hand. In glorious sunshine and almost calm conditions, we arrived in Bua, a small place near Varberg.

Stage 2: Bua → Gothenburg

In Bua we met up with our friends, who had come to Sweden by car and wanted to sail with us for a few days. The friendly harbour team showed us a good place to park the car – even free of charge. Our first destination was Gothenburg Långedrag. We didn’t like the marina at all. It was too big, had no designated guest berths – so again, we had to search for a free, green box. On top of that, there was a lot of swell in the harbour, and it was expensive too. So best to leave again. Our friends weren’t keen on visiting Gothenburg, and we were more tempted by the open water anyway.

Stage 3: Gothenburg → Fotö

The northern Gothenburg archipelago was exactly what we had in mind for a shared sailing trip. We first headed for Hönö, but the harbour was full and quite crowded. We found a free SXK buoy just off the island, where we enjoyed the summery weather. Overnight, the forecast strong wind set in, and we decided to move to nearby Fotö for shelter. With quite a breeze blowing, we entered the harbour, where luckily a berth alongside the pontoon was free, and together we managed to fit TIAMAT into the tight spot. The next days were forecast to be even windier. In the end, we were weather-bound on Fotö for five days. But that was no problem – the island had everything we needed and was wonderfully peaceful. On foot, by island bus and by ferry we explored the area and did our shopping at the local supermarket.

Stage 4: Fotö → Bua

With a stop at anchor off Kungsö (southern archipelago), which with its dreamy sandy beach and turquoise water reminded us a little of the Caribbean (except for the cold water 🥶), and at Skallas Hamn, we then returned to our starting point. Our friends had to get back to their car and return to Germany. We, however, were eager to head north again. My dream was to reach the Väderöarna (Weather Islands). So, northward it was!

Stage 5: Bua → Kalvsund

On our way north, we headed for the small island of Kalven. The guest harbour in Kalvsund is a bit restless, as the ferry runs regularly between the islands. Still, we really liked it there. We got talking to a couple who spend their summers in a house on the island, and they told us about the harbour festival. They invited us so warmly that we couldn’t refuse. And so, we experienced for the first time just how exuberantly the Swedes can celebrate.

🗺️ Special experiences & learnings

• Sailing with four people for the first time: the boat is small, but still comfortable enough for all.
• Sailing into the small harbour of Fotö in strong wind and docking the boat safely.
• Festival in Kalvsund.

⚓ Our favourite place of this voyage

• Kalvsund

💡 Practical tips for fellow sailors

• For a short city trip, it’s not worth sailing up the Göta älv to Gothenburg Marina Lilla Bommen. The city centre is easily reached by tram from Långedrag Marina. It also offers more comfort and many more berths.
• The blue SXK buoys are exclusively for members. However, you can also become a member as a non-Swede and register your boat. This costs a one-time fee of €75 in addition to the membership fee. Every year, you receive a “Bojflagga” and can then use the buoys.
• In the Gothenburg archipelago, you can use the yellow ferries for free island hopping.

🖼️ Gallery