Hire a boat in Sweden with or without a skipper

The types of boats to hire in Sweden

The Swedish fleet is made up overwhelmingly of monohull sailing yachts, particularly well suited to navigating the archipelagos. Depending on your budget and your sailing plans, several options are open to you:

• Monohull sailing yacht hire: this is the most common type of boat in Sweden and the best suited to the narrow channels of the archipelagos. Its moderate draught makes it easier to reach natural anchorages and to moor stern-to against the rocks. Most units have heating, essential for the cool Baltic evenings.
• Catamaran hire: it remains rare in Swedish waters, where monohulls dominate the market. The catamaran offers greater stability and more living space on board, but availability is limited. For catamaran hire in Sweden, we advise you to contact us in advance to check availability.

The services offered for your boat hire in Sweden

Here are the different services we offer for hiring a boat in Sweden:

• Bareboat hire (without a skipper): if a member of your crew has sufficient sailing experience, they will be able to handle the sailing yacht. The boat is entirely private and you enjoy your cruise with family or friends, at your own pace, from island to island.
• Boat hire with a skipper: this is the ideal option if no one can skipper the boat or if you are discovering the Swedish archipelagos for the first time. The professional skipper handles the navigation through the marked channels and shares their knowledge of the best natural anchorages and charming harbours.
• Boat hire with a crew: this service is included on luxury boats over 20 metres and offered as an option on certain units between 15 and 20 metres. A crew is usually made up of a captain, a cook and a hostess, who ensure that your cruise is unforgettable.

What is the price for a boat hire in Sweden?

The table below gives you an order of magnitude of the average prices for a one-week hire in Sweden. These prices can change depending on the season, availability, the model and the age of the boat. As the season is short, high season is concentrated in July and August, around Midsummer (Midsommar).

The price includes: the boat hire and the main equipment on board (the sails, the crockery, the heating, the tender, the bedding and the outboard motor).

The price does not include: insurance, port and mooring fees, the skipper, the hostess, cleaning which is often included in a compulsory pack, extras (kayak, paddle sup) and provisioning.

If you wish to charter a yacht in Sweden, we invite you to contact us directly to obtain the full price list. The price range for this type of model is indeed very wide. Lina, our specialist for the crewed & luxury boats segment, will be able to send you the best offers.

We advise you to take out our cancellation insurance for your boat hire in Sweden. It will cover all members of the crew, whereas individual cancellation insurance or cover through your bank card will only cover its holder.

We also encourage our clients to take out the deposit waiver insurance. On a boat, mishaps happen even to the best sailors. This insurance will allow you to recover a significant part of your deposit in the event of navigation-related damage. Note that the deposit is sometimes denominated in Swedish krona: remember to check the method of payment with the base.

Where to sail in Sweden?

Sweden offers several very different sailing areas along its coasts:

• The Stockholm archipelago, on the east coast. It is the most iconic area, with nearly 30,000 islands and islets stretching over about 80 miles from the capital to the Baltic. A wooded inner archipelago, a calmer middle archipelago and an outer archipelago of bare rocks can be distinguished. Do not miss Vaxholm, the gateway to the archipelago, as well as Grinda, Möja, Nämdö, Utö and Sandhamn. Most departure bases are located in this region: discover our sailing yachts to hire in Stockholm.
• The west coast and Bohuslän, from Gothenburg to the Norwegian border. It is an area of pink granite, saltier and more exposed to the Skagerrak swell. The fishing villages there are splendid: Marstrand, Smögen, Käringön, Gullholmen or even Fjällbacka. Further north, the Kosterhavet marine national park and the Koster islands will delight lovers of unspoilt nature.
• The south coast and Blekinge, with gentler, more sheltered waters. This area gives access to the medieval island of Gotland and its listed town of Visby, as well as to the island of Öland, rich in Viking remains.
• The High Coast (Höga Kusten), in the north, in the Gulf of Bothnia. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it offers spectacular landscapes and wilder sailing, reserved for self-sufficient crews.

When to sail in Sweden?

The sailing season in Sweden runs from late May to mid-September, peaking in July and August. The main asset of the Swedish summer is the light: around Midsummer, it is daylight for nearly 18 hours and the night lasts only a few hours. In high summer, the air temperature varies between 20 °C and 25 °C, while the water temperature stays cool, around 18 °C in the Stockholm archipelago.

Here is an average of the temperatures recorded in recent years on the Swedish coast:

Outside summer, the nights are cool and some bases reduce their opening hours. Early sailing in April or late sailing in October remains possible on the west coast, which is ice-free earlier than the Stockholm archipelago.

Sailing conditions in Sweden

The Baltic is an almost tideless sea: the tidal range does not exceed a few centimetres, so you plan your legs according to the wind and the light, without worrying about tide times. The water level can nevertheless vary slightly depending on atmospheric pressure and wind, something to keep an eye on in shallow anchorages.

In the Stockholm archipelago, navigation is easy and most often done by sight: the channels are very well marked and the charts precise. The prevailing winds are from west to south-west, generally between 8 and 14 knots in summer. The main thing to watch out for is the rocks and shoals breaking the surface, which are numerous and must be given a wide berth by scrupulously following the buoyage.

On the west coast and in Bohuslän, conditions are more demanding: the water is distinctly salty, the Skagerrak swell can find its way into the outer passages and the winds are on average a little stronger, often 10 to 20 knots. You will take a reef more often than in Stockholm.

Mooring is most often done Scandinavian-style, in natural harbours (naturhamn): you drop an anchor at the stern and moor stern-to or bow-to a rock using lines made fast ashore, to sealed rings or around a pine tree. It is one of the great distinctive features of the pleasure of sailing in Sweden.

The documents required to hire a boat without a skipper in Sweden

Sweden does not require a recreational boating licence by law for leisure sailing. However, hire companies almost always require a certificate of competence which they forward to the base before departure: a coastal or offshore certificate, an ICC (International Certificate of Competence) or a recognised equivalent (such as the RYA Day Skipper). You will also be asked for a sailing CV detailing your experience and that of your crewmate. Unlike in Croatia, the VHF certificate is not compulsory, but it remains strongly recommended. For large units (45-foot catamaran or 62-foot monohull sailing yacht and above), a higher level of qualification, such as an offshore certificate, is generally required.

Useful information for your boat hire in Sweden

What language is spoken in Sweden?

The official language is Swedish, but English is very widely spoken throughout the country, including in the harbours and on the small islands.

What currency should you use in Sweden?

Sweden is not part of the eurozone: the currency used is the Swedish krona (SEK), which is worth about 13 krona to 1 pound. The country operates almost cash-free: bank cards and contactless payment are accepted everywhere, right down to the natural harbours.

How do you get to Sweden?

Numerous direct flights serve Sweden from Paris. For the Stockholm archipelago, aim for Stockholm-Arlanda airport (ARN) or Bromma airport (BMA), which is closer to the centre. For the west coast and Bohuslän, Gothenburg-Landvetter airport (GOT) is the most convenient.

How do you finalise the booking of my boat in Sweden?

Once we have received your hire request, an adviser will contact you by phone to understand your sailing plans. They will then send you boat proposals by email. Once the boat has been found, you will be able to pay a deposit in your client area to validate the hire and secure the boat.

What is the right of public access to nature (allemansrätten)?

The allemansrätten is the Swedish customary right that allows everyone to enjoy nature freely. In practical terms, it allows you to come alongside, land and bivouac on most uninhabited islands, provided you respect the places, leave nothing behind and keep your distance from private dwellings and nature reserves.

From Stockholm, can I sail as far as Finland or Denmark?

It is possible for self-sufficient and well-prepared crews, but these crossings require time and experience. From Stockholm, the Åland Islands and Finland are accessible across the Baltic; to discover these areas, see our sailing yacht hire offer in Finland. On the west coast, Denmark and Norway are within reach. Always check that the hire contract authorises the intended area before setting off.