Memories of Gothenburg
9th - 16th August 2025
We join longtime club member Steve Drowley and the rest of the crew to share memories of an incredible journey around the Gothenburg archipelago.
Having never been to Scandinavia, let alone Sweden of which my knowledge was limited to The Bridge (and that was half Danish….which half you ask?!) I was very excited to be on the plane to Gothenburg, or Goteburg as it’s known locally, for the Sundowners voyage up the west coast of Sweden 9 to 16 August 2025. And it did not disappoint – extraordinary land and seascapes, amazing geomorphology, fine sailing with some very good wind, and the usual joyful, genial, gin-enhanced craic (not all the time and not everyone of course) with our Sundowners crew-mates.
Having time in Goteburg, Sweden’s second largest city, before embarking and at the end of the voyage was definitely worth it. Goteburg is a significant industrial and cultural port with a very walkable and canal-boatable centre: the charming Market Hall and old Fish Market, the Haga district, the Maritime Museum, and the formidable Skansen Kronan fortress were just some of the highlights. This is always the bonus element of any Sundowners trip – the before and afters! It also gives time to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.
We left port through an impressive lifting road-bridge and past reputedly the ugliest building in Sweden – it was truly ghastly! Thence north, out into an archipelago of thousands of islands, some inhabited, but many just rocks protruding out of the water, awaiting inattentive navigators.
Most days offered the choice of going round or through the glaciated rocky patchwork – never has the depth-sounder been more useful!
We sailed past many islands: Groto, Bjorko, Hono, Ockero, Halso, Tjorn, Astols and visited many beautiful places including Marstrand, where a number of us did the round island walk; Smogen with its colourful harbour buildings and alluring natural bathing places (aka skinny dipping spots); Karingon with its mouth-watering fish restaurant, Petersons Krog; and Gulhommen with its curious local art galleries and museums. |
Another highlight of the trip was the Commodore’s birthday (a vintage prize for anyone guessing correctly which one), celebrated whilst in port at Smogen. A cake was sourced and intrepidly collected by the Vice Commodore just before the bakery shut, and much appreciated by all as we toasted the young fellow.
Another intriguing and hugely enjoyable Sundowners voyage of discovery – mind you the swimming was a little more bracing than the Med!
