Vänskapens hav
As the global situation becomes increasingly uncertain, so too grows the awareness that the countries around the Baltic Sea share a deeply rooted bond. This bond is highlighted here through stories from the coasts and waters of the Baltic. Was Sweden in fact colonized from the east? What did the boats look like, and how were they built? How was it possible to travel between the countries, and how did the pilot system develop? Mail was delivered at the risk of life, yet the optical telegraph was faster. And what human destinies unfolded among the coastal populations—not only in Sweden and Finland, but also in the Baltics?
All of this is told in Vänskapens hav (The Sea of Friendship). Everyone can find something of interest in the book’s smorgasbord of shorter and longer stories, most of them newly written by knowledgeable authors. Some classic depictions of the archipelago are also included, and the book is richly illustrated.
You can order it here.
This book is only available in swedish.
Genvägar i Stockholms skärgård
Hydrographica’s Genvägar i Stockholms skärgård is a well-regarded book that, with a large-scale map, an aerial photograph from a helicopter, and descriptive text, presents more than 100 “shortcuts”—or in some cases more sheltered detours—in the Stockholm archipelago.
In this book, we have used our own mapping techniques to chart and present 107 passages that most people have considered impassable or very tricky. In many cases, they are not nearly as difficult as the rumors suggest, and with our shortcuts book it should certainly be possible to try many new routes that previously felt closed off. Each route description is presented in a clear and accessible way, with large-scale maps, aerial photographs from a helicopter, and descriptive texts, presents.
You can order it here.
This book is only available in swedish.
Sven Barthel på Sillö
All of us at Hydrographica regard Sven Barthel as our guiding spirit and source of inspiration. No one has surpassed him when it comes to sensitive reflections on the nature of the archipelago and the essence of sailing. It was Sven Barthel who said that “the sailboat is the instrument of freedom.”
Sven Barthel is no longer with us, but his books live on. And Hydrographica has had the opportunity to sponsor two new books. One of them – Sven Barthel på Sillö – tells the story of how a found notebook reveals the history of the archipelago shed he so often sought out when he wanted to write in solitude, and concludes with a complete compilation of all his works. The book is lovingly illustrated with watercolors by Stig Fyring, and Tom Roeck Hansen, with the kind assistance of Sven’s daughter Vera Barthel, has portrayed his literary career.
Here you can read a sample from “Sven Barthel på Sillö”. And you order it here.
This book is only available in swedish.
Från 10 år med Vindfält
The second book – Från 10 år med Vindfält – is something of a sensation. Before Sven Barthel became a “real” author, he was a prolific columnist under the pseudonym Vindfält, with the archipelago as his main subject. Vera Barthel has helped recover these columns, and a selection of them is presented in this collection. They had been forgotten for 80 years, yet they are unmistakably “Barthelian” and serve as remarkable historical documents. A treasure chest has been opened! It’s as if one suddenly has a completely new book by Sven Barthel.
Here you can read a sample from “Från 10 år med Vindfält”. And you order it here.
This book is only available in swedish.
Med floran i båten
Sometimes we just can’t keep our hands off fun book projects that the major publishers don’t think are worth investing in. We started with the books about Sven Barthel, and here we have a little gem for anyone with a sense of the archipelago’s nature, and especially its plant life. Kåre Bremer is a professor of botany and a retired president of Stockholm University. His book Med floran i båten is an easy-to-read and entertaining account of his own and others’ wanderings in the Stockholm archipelago in search of small and large botanical sensations. It tells about the Sandö Sugga, which is disappearing, strange Finnish whitebeam on Munkö, Strindberg’s knowledge and lack thereof, and little-known inland lakes on Möja. The book is made even more delightful by its coverage of vintage boats, equally exciting rarities—Kåre Bremer is, after all, an incurable vintage boat enthusiast.
The book is 170 pages long and printed in a limited edition, but the price has been kept low thanks to contributions toward printing costs.
You can order the book here.
This book is only available in swedish.