No nationwide speed limit
Sweden has no general speed limit for leisure boats. Limits are set locally, sound by sound and bay by bay. It is usually the Länsstyrelsen that decides, after consulting Sjöfartsverket and Transportstyrelsen. The right to do so is set out in the Maritime Traffic Ordinance (1986:300), chapter 2, section 2. In a few places Transportstyrelsen has its own regulations: Göta kanal, Vänern, Södertälje kanal and Trollhätte kanal.
No sign doesn't mean anything goes. The collision regulations apply in Swedish waters and require a safe speed for the visibility, traffic and waters. That always applies.
How to find the speed limit where you're boating
- Local traffic regulations. The County Administrative Board in each county issues regulations on boat traffic with the location, the limit in knots and sometimes the season. The Swedish Transport Agency's page on local maritime traffic rules lists only the agency's own areas. For the rest, it refers you to the County Administrative Board.
- Pilotage area pages. The Swedish Maritime Administration publishes speed limits for each pilotage area with position and chart number. In Östergötland, for example, it is 7 knots at Arkösund and 5 knots in Lindökanalen.
- The chart. The Swedish Maritime Administration's online chart viewer shows you exactly where the positions are.
- Signs on the water. Keep a lookout, but a sign is easy to spot too late. Check the limits before you go.
Read the fine print. A limit may apply in one direction only, only to vessels larger than 12 x 4 metres or only from 15 April to 15 October. That is how it works at Nävekvarn.
What happens if you go too fast?
If you speed where there is a local limit, you will be fined under chapter 5, section 1 of the sjötrafikförordningen (Maritime Traffic Ordinance). With a leisure boat, this means a fine. If someone is injured, or others are put at risk, it can instead be tried under the sjölagen (Maritime Code) or the brottsbalken (Penal Code).
Wash is often the biggest problem. It wears on jetties, knocks moored boats into each other and can topple a swimmer. Ease off the throttle in narrow sounds, near jetties, swimming spots and guest harbours, sign or no sign.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a maximum speed for leisure boats in Sweden?
No. Limits only exist locally, where the County Administrative Board or the Swedish Transport Agency has decided on them.
Where can I see speed limits before I head out?
In the nautical chart and the Swedish Maritime Administration's map viewer. The county administrative board's maritime traffic regulations and the Swedish Maritime Administration's pages for each pilotage area also have the lists.
Does the speed limit also apply to small boats?
It depends on the location. Some limits apply to all boats, others only to vessels larger than 12 x 4 metres.
Sources
- Transportstyrelsen: lokala sjötrafikregler transportstyrelsen.se
- Sjötrafikförordning (1986:300), Sveriges riksdag riksdagen.se
- Sjöfartsverket: fartbegränsningar i lotsområde Oxelösund sjofartsverket.se
- Sjöfartsverket: kartvisare med sjökort sjofartsverket.se
- Transportstyrelsen: regler för sjötrafiken transportstyrelsen.se