| Waxholmsbolaget | |
| Type: | Joint-stock company |
| Foundation: | 1849 |
| Location City: | Stockholm |
| Location Country: | Sweden |
| Area Served: | Stockholm Archipelago |
| Industry: | Maritime transport |
| Services: | Public transport |
| Owner: | Stockholm County Council |
| Homepage: | waxholmsbolaget.se |
Waxholms Ångfartygs AB, commonly referred to as Waxholmsbolaget, is a shipping company owned by Stockholm county council and is responsible for the seaborne public transport in the Stockholm archipelago and Stockholm harbour. The company, which is mostly tax-funded, carried about 4.3 million travellers in 2003, covering a region from Arholma in north of the archipelago to Landsort in the south.
The company owns 20 archipelago boats, and four boats for the inner-city Djurgården ferry line. The operation of the ships is handled by several contractors, some of whom also operate their own ships on behalf of Waxholmsbolaget.
The origins of the company lie in the Djurgårdens Ångbåts-Aktie-Bolag, which was established in 1849. The company operated a steamboat service to the Stockholm archipelago, using the paddle steamers Ran and Aegir on routes from Stockholm to Vaxholm and Dalarö. The new steamboats answered a demand for travel to and from the archipelago, both from affluent Stockholmer’s building summer villas on outlying islands, but also from archipelago residents who travelled into the city to sell fish and vegetables at the market.
In 1869 the company was transformed into the Waxholms Ångfartygs Aktiebolag, which came to be popularly known as the Waxholmsbolaget. Shares were issued in the new company, and a new propeller powered steamboat, the Fredriksborg, was built. In 1881, the Waxholm joined the fleet, establishing the design of what became the typical archipelago steamer. However, in 1898, dissatisfaction with the services provided by the Waxholms Ångfartygs Aktiebolag led to the foundation of a competitor, the Stockholm - Vaxholms Rederi AB. In 1901, the two companies merged to form a new company, the Waxholms Nya Ångfartygs AB, which continued to be popularly known as the Waxholmsbolaget.[1] [2] [3]
In 1913, the Enskilda Bank took over the running of the Waxholmsbolaget, in order to expand operations and offer a better service throughout the archipelago. One of the changes introduced during this period was the company logo, a "W" on a blue and yellow background, designed by Jacob Hägg. In 1946, Rederi Svea became the majority shareholder.
In 1964, the company was renamed as Waxholms Ångfartygs AB, under the ownership of the Vaxholm Municipality. Three years later, in 1967, ownership was transferred to a joint body of the City of Stockholm and County of Stockholm. In 1971, with the incorporation of the city into the county, ownership moved to Stockholm County Council.[4]
In 1970, Waxholmsbolaget took over the services and fleet of the company, which had been founded in 1863. This company operated ferry services within Stockholm city and the inner archipelago, including the Djurgården ferries.
The current fleet owned by the Waxholmsbolaget comprises three classic vessels, nine ice-strengthened ferries, eight fast ferries and four ferries for the urban Djurgården ferry service.[5]
| Name | Built | Description | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Västan | 1900 | Västan is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 180 passengers. A Scania diesel engine of gives a speed of . She was built, as the steam ship Nya Svartsjölandet, by Motala Verkstad of Motala, for Nya Svartsjölandet Ångfartygs AB, and initially used on Lake Mälaren. Acquired and renamed by Waxholmolaget in 1937, she was rebuilt and converted to diesel propulsion in 1953, and has been rebuilt and repowered several times since.[6] | ||
| Storskär | 1908 | Storskär is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 330 passengers. A steam engine of gives a speed of . She was built, as the Strängnäs Express, by Lindholm Shipyard of Gothenburg, for Strengnäs Nya Rederi AB, and initially used on Lake Mälaren. Acquired by Waxholmolaget in 1939, she still uses her original steam engine with a boiler installed in 1999.[7] | ||
| Norrskär | 1910 | Norrskär is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 265 passengers. A steam engine of gives a speed of . She was built, as the Sandhamns Express, by Eriksbergs Shipyard of Gothenburg, for Oscar Seippel, and has operated services in the Stockholm archipelago since she was built. Acquired by Waxholmolaget in 1947, she acquired her current name in 1949. She still uses her original steam engine with a boiler installed in 2000.[8] |
| Name | Built | Description | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solöga | 1978 | Solöga is the first of two sister ships to be built, followed by Vindöga. She was built by the local . She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 180 passengers. A Scania diesel engine of gives a speed of . She was remodelled and a new engine fitted in 2000.[9] [10] | ||
| Vindöga | 1978 | Vindöga is a sister ship to Solöga. She was built by the local . She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 180 passengers. A Scania diesel engine of gives a speed of . She was remodelled and a new engine fitted in 2000.[11] | ||
| Waxholm I | 1983 | Waxholm I is the first of two sister ships to be built, followed by Waxholm II. She was built by the Lunde Shipyard at Ramvik. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 344 passengers. Two Volvo diesel engines with a combined power of give a speed of . She was remodelled in 1984, 1993, 2006 and 2015, and was re-engined in 1987, 2000 and 2009.[12] [13] | ||
| Waxholm II | 1983 | Waxholm II is a sister ship to Waxholm I. She was built by the Lunde Shipyard at Ramvik. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 350 passengers. Two Volvo diesel engines with a combined power of give a speed of . She was remodelled in 1984 and 2007, and was re-engined in 1987, 2001 and 2007.[14] | ||
| Söderarm | 2004 | Söderarm is the first of three sister ships to be built, followed by Sandhamn and Dalarö. She was built by the Riga Shipyard at Riga in Latvia, with equipment by Moen Slip at Kolvereid in Norway. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 500 passengers. Two Mitsubishi diesel engines with a combined power of give a speed of . She was re-engined in 2016.[15] [16] | ||
| Sandhamn | 2004 | Sandhamn is a sister ship to Söderarm and Dalarö. She was built by Moen Slip at Kolvereid in Norway. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 500 passengers. Four Scania diesel engines with a combined power of give a speed of . She was re-engined in 2016.[17] | ||
| Dalarö | 2005 | Dalarö is a sister ship to Söderarm and Dalarö. She was built by the Riga Shipyard at Riga in Latvia, with equipment by Moen Slip at Kolvereid in Norway. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 500 passengers. Four Volvo diesel engines with a combined power of give a speed of .[18] | ||
| Nämdö | 2009 | Nämdö is the first of two sister ships to be built, followed by Gällnö. She was built by Uki Workboat at Uusikaupunki in Finland. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 280 passengers. Four Volvo diesel engines with a combined power of give a speed of .[19] [20] | ||
| Gällnö | 2010 | Gällnö is a sister ship to Nämdö. She was built by Uki Workboat at Uusikaupunki in Finland. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 280 passengers. Four Volvo diesel engines with a combined power of give a speed of .[21] |
| Name | Built | Description | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skärgården | 1978 | Skärgården is the first of two sister ships to be built, followed by Roslagen. She was built by at Öregrund. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 297 passengers. Four MTU diesel engines, with a combined output of give a speed of . After an inspection in 1996 resulted in the imposition of a maximum speed of, she was remodelled the following year and had sponsons added to improve stability. Further remodellings followed in 2003 and 2013, and new engines were fitted in 1988, 2001 and 2013.[22] [23] | ||
| Roslagen | 1979 | Roslagen is a sister ship to Skärgården. She was built by at Öregrund. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 297 passengers. Four Volvo diesel engines, with a combined output of give a speed of . After the inspection of Skärgården in 1996 resulted in the imposition of a maximum speed, the Roslagen was remodelled the following year and had sponsons added to improve stability. Further remodellings followed in 2004 and 2015, and new engines were fitted in 1987 and 2004.[24] | ||
| Värmdö | 1990 | Värmdö is the first of five sister ships to be built, the so-called V-båtarna as all have names beginning with V. She was built by Oskarshamn Shipyard at Oskarshamn. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 340 passengers. Three MTU diesel engines, with a combined output of give a speed of . As built, the engines exhausted at the waterline, but after a years service she was remodelled to exhaust through funnels. She was further remodelled in 2010 and 2011, and new engines were fitted in 2001 and 2010.[25] [26] | ||
| Vånö | 1991 | Vånö is the second of five sister ships to be built, the so-called V-båtarna as all have names beginning with V. She was built by Oskarshamn Shipyard at Oskarshamn. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 340 passengers. Three MTU diesel engines, with a combined output of give a speed of . She was remodelled in 2011, and new engines were fitted in 2002 and 2011.[27] [28] | ||
| Väddö | 1992 | Väddö is the third of five sister ships to be built, the so-called V-båtarna as all have names beginning with V. She was built by Oskarshamn Shipyard at Oskarshamn. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 340 passengers. Three MTU diesel engines, with a combined output of give a speed of . She was remodelled in 2012, and new engines were fitted in 2003 and 2012.[29] [30] | ||
| Viberö | 1993 | Viberö is the fourth of five sister ships to be built, the so-called V-båtarna as all have names beginning with V. She was built by Oskarshamn Shipyard at Oskarshamn. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 340 passengers. Three MTU diesel engines, with a combined output of give a speed of . She was remodelled in 2012, and new engines were fitted in 2003 and 2012.[31] [32] | ||
| Vaxö | 1993 | Vaxö is the last of five sister ships to be built, the so-called V-båtarna as all have names beginning with V. She was built by Oskarshamn Shipyard at Oskarshamn. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 340 passengers. Three MTU diesel engines, with a combined output of give a speed of . New engines were fitted in 2000 and 2009.[33] [34] | ||
| Saxaren | 1999 | Saxaren is a later half-sister to the five V-båtarna. She was built by Båtservice Holding A/S at Mandal in Norway. She is in length, with a beam of, a draught of, and a capacity of 340 passengers. Two MTU diesel engines, with a combined output of give a speed of . She was remodelled and new engines were fitted in 2014.[35] [36] |
See article Djurgården ferry
The following notable vessels were formerly part of the Waxholmsbolaget fleet: