Paddle Steamer Resources by Tramscape : Paddle Steamer Magazine

Gothenburg, Sweden : August 2007 : including : SS Bohuslan - a remarkable early example of steamer preservation

Above: SS Bohuslan  at Stenpiren, Gothenburg on August 2nd 2007

Blessed with a lengthy coastline dotted with thousands of islands, and numerous large inland lakes, Sweden is natural territory for coastal, lake and estuarine vessels. The archipelago around the capital city, Stockholm, is possibly the most interesting area in the world for the excursion steamer enthusiast, with numerous vessels still in steam sailing alongside diesel conversions and more modern motor vessels, in the tourist excursion trade as well as providing essential lifeline to small island communities. Many of the boats date back to the late 1800s and their longevity in salt water and through the harsh climatic conditions found in Sweden is remarkable. Unfortunately no paddle steamers survive – from the very early days of steam navigation, screw steamers were favoured in Sweden – but if exciting plans described below, a new replica paddler could come into service.   

Sweden’s second city, Gothenburg, lies on the country’s western coast where the Gota river flows into the Kattegat, which separates Sweden from the north of Denmark. Gothenburg dates from the 17^th century and owes its development to sea-based trade and today it remains a thriving commercial port for cargo and passengers as well as ship repair and maintenance. The large ferries and catamarans of Stena Line sail right up to the city centre and the opposite, northern, bank of the Gota is dominated by docks, warehouses and shipyards.

Whilst Gothenburg has nothing to quite match the Stockholm lakes and archipelago, it  is the home of numerous ferries and excursion boats serving a beautiful and fascinating island-studded coastline. One of these is the steamship “Bohuslan” built in 1914 and named after an area of the coast close to Gothenburg, which sails today as a result of one of the earliest and most successful preservation movements anywhere in the world. A  preservation society was formed at short notice when “Bohuslan” was sold to ship breakers in 1965 and the new group wasted no time in purchasing the vessel, refitting it and putting it into service in the summer of 1966.

"Bohuslan" is now run and operated entirely on a voluntary basis, providing a variety cruises from central Gothenburg out into the archipelago, including day trips, shorter cruises and longer trips with passengers returned home by connecting buses. At 42.4 metres long, and one of the few Swedish steamers built over 40 m in length, she is considerably smaller than Britain’s “Waverley”, so operation is less expensive and complicated, but nevertheless, the success of “Bohuslan” is remarkable. 

The Sallskapet Angbaten (Steamship Society) also took ownership of “Farjan 4”, a steam powered Gothenburg harbour ferry in 1972 and maintains her in operational condition.

Also in Gothenburg is the larger steamer “Marieholm”, built in 1934 for the Baltic Sea services of the Swedish-America Line, which has been preserved as a restaurant with her steam engines in situ       . At 70 metres long, she is comparable with “Waverley” in size and is traditionally styled. At one stage, her owners considered using her for local cruises but this has not been possible.

Local ferry and excusions operator Borjessons (www.borjessons.com) have in their fleet the 37.3 metre long, 1881-built, former steamer “S:t Erik”, which sailed in the Gothenburg area for the same company as "Bohuslan" until 1963 and returned to her home area after many years mainly based at Stockholm. 

Other traditional vessels which were once steamers do visit Gothenburg.  It is still possible to cross Sweden by river, canal, lake and "inland sea" and three vessels, "Juno", "Wilhelm Tham" and "Diana", provide 4 or 6-day runs between Gothenburg and Stockholm along the 190 km route with 66 locks built between 1810 and 1832. They are run by the Gota Kanal Rederiaktiebolaget (www.gotacanal.se) , a company which can trace its roots back to 1869, when the Motala Strom Steamship Company was founded and grew rapidly especially as it soon worked in conjunction with Britain’s Thomas Cook company to develop the tourist industry in Sweden. Their vessel "Juno" (built in 1874 and dieselised in 1961) is the world’s oldest registered passenger boat with sleeping accommodation.

Plans are in place to build a replica of one of Sweden’s earliest steamships, the paddle steamer "Eric Nordevall". A 28.6 m ling boat with two side-lever engines which was built in 1836 and sank in Lake Vattern where she lies today in 45 m depth of water. She is being built at Vorsviks Varf near Karlsborg and engines will be built and fitted at Motala, birthplace of the original vessel. The new paddler will be operated on the Gota canal run between Gothenburg and Stockholm on the same route as the original vessel.

The city’s maritime heritage is celebrated with “Maritiman” a floating museum of 19 ships moored in a close group at the city centre quayside, featuring vessels of different styles and uses dominated by the naval destroyer "Smaland"  (www.maritiman.se).

The 97-metre long sailing bark “Viking”, built in Copenhagen in 1907 and involved in worldwide trade until the mid 1920s, is also moored alongside having been brought to Gothenburg by fund raisers and sold on to the city in 1951. Initially used as a school of seamanship, catering and maritime management, it has been in the ownership of Liseberg Restaurant AB since 1998 and provides hotel facilities and a stunning venue for conferences.

No trip to Gothenburg is complete without a trip on one of the "Padden" boats around the city's canals. When Gothenburg was established on rather marshy terrain, Dutch engineers were enagaged to build canals which now form two concentric rings around the city centre, with the River Gota forming one side of the ring. The trip takes tourists under some very low bridges, including the so-call "Cheese Slicer", under which the boats run to reach the Gota.