The west coast of Sweden and the entrance to the Baltic are stunning areas to sail around - the coastline is clad with a layer of islands 5-20 miles thick with countless channels and a myriad of islands to weave in between and explore, before anchoring at in the evening.

The plan would be to take the yachts from their base in Marstrand, near Gothenburg, and sail either north or south depending on the winds, but with the aim of completing a circular route taking in the south coast of Norway, the northern islands of Denmark, and all that the West Sweden archipelago has to offer. This will be some reasonably adventurous sailing, facilitiated by the amazing midnight sun, but in pleasant conditions with Force 3-4 winds on average, and excellent handling boats. Therefore it's a superb trip for all abilities, providing you remember to pack your adventurous spirit! :-)

The maps below shows the area, and attempt to demonstrate the island-i-ness of the area. In the rest of the page there are more details about the area , the boats , travel , and the possibility of extending the trip by staying in a hostel in Gothenburg to allow some land based "tourism" before the trip proper starts.

If you are interested in signing up for the trip, then just go to the top of this page and click the "sign up" link and e-mail me! If you have any questions, etc, then you can also e-mail me of course.

Western Swedish Archipelago

The Swedish West Coast is known for its unspoiled archipelago of islands with a stunning beauty and nice anchoring sites. Thousands of islands lie scattered along the coast from Gothenburg, Swedens second largest city, all the way up to Oslo, the Norwegian capital. You will find traditional fishing ports and idyllic small villages. You can always find sheltered natural harbors or if you want blue water cruising reach the Danish islands Läsö and Anholt in a few hours.

Southern Norway

The south coast has countless islands. Sailing here is often in sheltered waters, with the chance to test your chart reading capabilities and enough rocks to keep you on your toes! Anchoring is not always necessary, as in the non tidal waters of the Skagerak it is often possible to lie alongside the natural shoreline. Sail from the same sheltered bays used by the Vikings. Experience the backdrop of majestic mountains. Visit quaint, waterside villages. Stretch your legs up a mountain or a glacier. Stretching from the Oslofjord to Stavanger, Norway's south coast may have little of the imposing grandeur of other, wilder parts of the country, but its island-shredded eastern half, running down to Kristiansand, is undeniably lovely. Backed by forests and lakes, this part of the coast attracts Norwegians in droves, equipped not so much with a bucket and spade, but more with a boat and navigational aids – these waters, with their narrow inlets, islands and skerries, make for particularly enjoyable sailing.

Northern Islands of Denmark

The most likely Danish island that we'll visit is the most northern one called Laeso. Others include Anholt and Sameso. All are rural islands with small fishing vilages, and otherwise deserted unspoil scrubland. They will make for excellent destinations if we choose to do a more adventurous overnight sail on one of the days of the week.

You could either decide just to arrive in time for the trip or perhaps to arrive one or several days earlier and look around Gothenberg and indeed the surrounding area. At the very least, I will be flying out on the Friday or Saturday to look around, so you're welcome to join me.

Cheap accomodation can be found at the following youth hostel which is near the centre Slottsskogens Youth hostel . There is another very slightly closer to the centre (~1000m) but is slightly more expensive so you won't find me there! Here's the link anyway - Vandrarhem Stigbergsliden .