Scandinavia
St Petersburg
Kotka
Helsinki
Stockholm
Copenhagen
Gothenburg
Inverness
Starting in the dazzling city of St
Petersburg, the Scandinavian Expedition
returns to the UK via the northern side of
the Baltic. Taking in most of the
Scandinavian coastline and capitals along
the way, the landscape is wild and rugged
as the cities are clean and civilised.
Helsinki
Just under two days sail from St Petersburg is Helsinki,
the capital of Finland. With its unique language and
independent culture, Finland feels very different to the
other Northern European countries en route. Helsinki has
always been its portal to the world, a maritime city built
on trade, with a strong connection to the east as well as
the west.
Aland Archipelago
The Finns and the Swedes both lay a claim to the
beautiful Aland Archipelago. Internationally recognised
as part of Finland, the Ålanders speak Swedish and have
a fiercely independent outlook. With somewhere over
6,000 islands, it is the ideal place to practice pilotage
and navigation, kayak around the coastline and find a
deserted anchorage for a sunset bbq.
Stockholm
A long day sail from the archipelago lies the capital city
of Sweden. Stockholm is also an archipelago, and its
islands have been brought under the umbrella of the city
at different times. From the medieval street layout of
Gammlastan to the more modernist influences in the
Aland Archipelago:
Key Facts
• 6000 islands
• Autonomous region of Finland
• Speaks Swedish
• 590 sq miles of landmass
• Lutheran religion
• 300 habitable islands
suburbs, it is a place to wander around and soak up the atmosphere. A couple of days here fly by, and
the wreck of the Vasa, a 17th century warship which sunk on her maiden voyage and was raised from the
depths of the harbour is now an unmissable museum for an self respecting salty sea dog.
Copenhagen
The four hundred miles between Stockholm and Copenhagen holds many options for intriguing
stopovers. Using the coastal navigation techniques we have been developing during the training and
start of the voyage, we will head south, stopping at some of the largest islands in the Baltic: Gotland,
Oland and Bornholm. From ancient farmland to thickly forested regions, landscapes peppered with rune
stones and windmills to thirteenth century fortressed towns, they are a fascinating cruising ground.
Copenhagen rivals Stockholm as Scandinavia's most popular city. Cutting edge architecture sits
alongside royal palaces and the Tivoli Gardens, the world's second oldest theme park. Small enough to
cover on foot, yet with theaters, opera and museums of international repute, it is hard not to like this
city. A crew change here means that those staying on have plenty of time to explore.
Gothenburg
After a day of training with the new crew, we leave Copenhagen, bound for the north. The short, choppy
seas of the Skagerrak can make for some testing sailing conditions, but strong winds are rare at this
time of year. There is very little tide in any of the Baltic, though there is usually a current running north,
flowing out into the North Sea. This is due to the net flow of river water into the Baltic being greater than
evaporation out of it. So we should have an appreciable increase in speed for this part of the voyage. The
trendy city of Gothenburg and the Western Archipelago of Sweden all offer good places to stop en route
and the exact itinerary will depend on the weather, and what takes our interest. The craggy Bohuslän
coast between Gothenburg and the Norwegian border is famed for its tiny fishing communities, fresh
seafood and pink granite islands and offers a peaceful retreat from the city stopovers.
Leg
Dates
Price
St Petersburg to Copenhagen
May 24 - June 14
£2860
St Petersburg to Stockholm
May 24 - June 5
£1625
Stockholm to Copenhagen
June 5 - June 14
£1300
Copenhagen to Gothenburg
June 14 - June 22
£1240
Gothenburg to UK
Jun 22 - July 1
£1300
(Passage making masterclass for Day
skipper and above)