Sweden West coast - pilot books?

pagoda

pagoda

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What suggestions are there for (Yacht) pilot books/guides for the SW coats of Sweden - up to the Norwegian border? We're bringing a boat back from Kiel (to the Clyde) in May/June and plan to go up the west of Sweden after visiting some of Denmark. We still have some Norwegian books from a previous trip, but very little in Sweden. We have additional interest in harbour depths as the new boat is 2m30 compared with 1m85!
 
The RCCPF Baltic one covers Sweden's west coast (and Denmark too). I was flicking through it last night - not in a huge amount of detail though.
 
Join the CA, it's worth the fee to you, as there is a vast amount of free, recent info and advice for that trip, including downloadable pilot books which are up to date, unlike printed matter.
There are plenty of charts and publications, but it is really tricky finding out what is available, and not many Brits speak the local lingo's.
The CA offers 2nd hand pilots and charts on the classifieds as well.
PM me if you want a steer PD
 
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knuterikt said:
We use these guides good aerial pictures and detailed maps
http://www.lmf.no/index.php?pageID=120&openLevel=34&showList=1#
Click on the British flag to get description in English.
Read sample from a Harbour Guide
Click to expand...

I am sure that harbour guide is a good choice, as an alternative you might also consider these two from the Swedish Cruising Association SXK, that cover the same area in two volumes, northern and southern part:
https://bryggboden.se/sv/bocker/skargardsguider/tre-veckor-i-bohuslan-norra-delen.html
Roughly the same cost, but these concentrate on natural harbours and anchorages. Havneguiden also includes some guest harbours, I believe.
Only in Swedish.
 
It's some years since we cruised this coast but we didn't carry a pilot. The courses are marked as black lines on the chart and there is little to know except where the rocks are. There used to be, and probably still is, a free harbour guide available everywhere which gives the essential details, without harbour plans but with aerial photos, which is plenty to see you through.

As I say, I'm a bit out of touch, but the most useful extra book was a guide to west coast natural harbours, with directions for entry and markings for shore rings and moorings. If you want to spend a lot of time away from harbours, it can be worth getting an associate membership of the Swedish Cruising Club, which give you use of their buoys.

As I have said before, I'm not a great fan of expensive pilot books, full of glossy photos these days. All the useful information we got came from talking to other sailors in the area, including recommendations of some delightful places that we would never have chosen on our own.
 
The most useful is still Skanör - Strömstad, by Nautiska Forlaget. It is in Swedish, but the harbour chartlets are created using a special technique which makes them more accurate than the normal charts. Its not been reprinted recently, but the rocks don't move. Alternatively, the same team are behind the Haveneguiden.no series which have a more recent reprint.

The West Coast is essentially one long inside route, with some diversionary options. If going inside, needless to say you'll need the Swedish charts. The pretty inside route starts at Göteborg, the Danish coast is a better option south of Göteborg, although Læsø is well worth a visit.

In general, the West Coast is deeper than the East, so you should be OK, but a few of the marinas can be shallow in the corners, so best to check.

For more info, join the CA. For an overview see http://kissen.co.uk/westernarch.php

(I've put links to the product in this text, but you seem to have to hover over to see them!)
 
pandroid said:
The West Coast is essentially one long inside route, with some diversionary options.
Click to expand...

That rather pedestrian description of my much beloved home waters compels me to share a few photos:)

h%C3%A4ttorna.jpg


haskar.jpg


hj%C3%A4lt%C3%B6n.jpg


ladder.jpg


ul%C3%B6n.jpg
 
pandroid said:
As I said, a few diversions. As opposed to the East Coast (25,000 islands), or better still, Finland (60,000 islands)....

Each to his own :)
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I know that the East Coast is supposed to be prettier, though I have not been there, but I enjoyed the west greatly. There is something about the bareness of the treeless islands with their glaciated rocks that is very grand. We sailed in comfort from Gothenberg to Stromstad for a month while the wind seldom dropped below F5 or 6 day or night, in shelter the whole time, except for one short passage they warn you about as you pass the "yellow rock" which sounds better in Swedish.

For some strange geological reason, most of the islands appear to split into pairs, so that there is almost always shelter or a harbour between the two. This seems to be a general rule with granite rocks as the same thing happens at Christianso.
 
BabaYaga said:
That rather pedestrian description of my much beloved home waters compels me to share a few photos:)

h%C3%A4ttorna.jpg


haskar.jpg


hj%C3%A4lt%C3%B6n.jpg


ladder.jpg


ul%C3%B6n.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks for the photos. They look great. It reminds me a bit of the area North and West of Stord near the mouth of the Hardangerfjord, hundreds of islands and skerries, mostly bare rock. The purpose of our trip is really a passage from Kiel to the Clyde, but with no great rush, so we plan to visit this coast on the way North. How good is mobile phone coverage in this part of the world? The isolated parts of Scotland's west coast have only "average" coverage. Sometimes none!
 
pagoda said:
Thanks for the photos. They look great. It reminds me a bit of the area North and West of Stord near the mouth of the Hardangerfjord, hundreds of islands and skerries, mostly bare rock. The purpose of our trip is really a passage from Kiel to the Clyde, but with no great rush, so we plan to visit this coast on the way North. How good is mobile phone coverage in this part of the world? The isolated parts of Scotland's west coast have only "average" coverage. Sometimes none!
Click to expand...

Thank you. My point was really just don't rush through, which you are obviously not planning to do.
It is true there is much bare rock on this coastline, but you need not to stray far to find more mellow landscapes as well.
I agree there are some similarities to the area north of Stord and Bømlo, an extraordinary archipelago I think.
Also the area around the southern tip of Norway is well worth of a spending a few spare days, in my view.
Mobile coverage on the Swedish west coat should be no problem, some places in Norway can be more difficult as the mountains are much higher.
 
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