64 guides
Guides for boat owners
Maintenance, rules and prices.
New boat owner
All in category →Buying a boat: pitfalls and what to know first
What makes boat purchases expensive afterwards: running costs, no berth, stolen goods, loans on the boat, private sales as is, VAT on imports and hidden engine faults.
I've bought a boat. What do I do now?
Your first weeks and first season as a new boat owner, in order: paperwork, insurance, berth, qualifications, safety, environmental rules and winter storage.
Buying a used boat: checklist
Go through this before you buy a used boat: hull, engine, paperwork, contract and ownership.
Pre-purchase survey: price, scope and terms before buying a boat
What surveyors themselves charge for a pre-purchase survey, and what to order: survey ashore, sea trial and report.
Boat insurance: compare price, excess and winter cover
How to compare boat insurance using the same details, and what applies to engine damage, theft protection, lifting and winter storage.
Boat berths: how to find one, how the queues work and what it costs
Municipal harbour, boat club or private marina? How the waiting lists work, what affects the fee and how to find available berths near you.
Boating certificates and licences: what are the requirements?
Do you need a boating licence? Förarintyg, kustskepparintyg and the personal watercraft operator's certificate: what is required and when.
Safety equipment on board: what the law requires and what you should carry
The law asks little of a Swedish leisure boat, but navigation lights, a sound signal and lifejackets are still the essentials. Checklist for boats under and over 12 metres.
Life jackets: rules, types and how to choose
50, 100, 150 or 275 Newton? How to choose the right lifejacket, what CE marking and EN ISO 12402 mean, and how to check an inflatable lifejacket.
Right-of-way rules at sea: who gives way?
Powerboat vs sailboat, head-on, crossing and overtaking: the give-way rules in the COLREGs explained with a table, plus what applies in narrow channels.
Navigation marks in Sweden: lateral, cardinal and special marks
How to read Swedish navigation marks: red and green lateral marks, cardinal mark topmarks and lights, isolated danger marks and yellow special marks. With table.
Knots for boat owners: 8 knots you will actually use
Bowline, figure-eight knot, round turn and two half hitches, reef knot, sheet bend, bollard hitch, slipped knot and cleating: when to use them and how to tie them, step by step.
What does it cost?
All in category →How much does winter boat storage cost?
Outdoor winter storage costs 165 to 441 kr per m² per season, and indoor storage up to 1 017 kr. Lifting is extra at 670 to 1 750 kr. Here's how to work out what your boat will cost.
Boat engine service: what it costs and what the quote should include
What servicing an outboard or inboard costs in labour in 2026, what drives the price and what the quote should include.
Launch and haul-out prices: lift, washing and extras
What a lift costs in 2026, what drives the price and the usual extras: washing, mast, blocking and storage.
Boat insurance: compare price, excess and winter cover
How to compare boat insurance using the same details, and what applies to engine damage, theft protection, lifting and winter storage.
Pre-purchase survey: price, scope and terms before buying a boat
What surveyors themselves charge for a pre-purchase survey, and what to order: survey ashore, sea trial and report.
Boat berths: how to find one, how the queues work and what it costs
Municipal harbour, boat club or private marina? How the waiting lists work, what affects the fee and how to find available berths near you.
Running aground: what to do right away and what it can cost
Stop, look for leaks, call for help if needed and take photos. A checklist after running aground, common damage to drives and keels, and how the insurance works.
Calculate your boat's fuel consumption per nautical mile and per trip
Measure litres per hour and divide by your speed in knots. Worked examples for litres per nautical mile and what the trip costs, and why catalogue figures aren't enough.
Boating certificates and licences: what are the requirements?
Do you need a boating licence? Förarintyg, kustskepparintyg and the personal watercraft operator's certificate: what is required and when.
Repairing gelcoat: scrapes, stone chips and cracks
How to repair gelcoat yourself: assess the damage, sand, fill with gelcoat filler, sand in stages and polish. And when it is a job for the boatyard.
Rules for leisure boats
All in category →Boating certificates and licences: what are the requirements?
Do you need a boating licence? Förarintyg, kustskepparintyg and the personal watercraft operator's certificate: what is required and when.
Coastal skipper certificate: what it is and how to get it
The Coastal Skipper certificate (Kustskepparintyg) from NFB: qualifies you for leisure boats of at least 12 × 4 metres at night and in exposed waters. Requirements, exam format, cost and practical boat training.
Personal watercraft licence: rules, age and cost
Since 1 May 2022, a licence has been required to ride a personal watercraft. Here is the age limit, how long the training takes, what the licence costs and where you may ride.
Boating under the influence: the alcohol limit and which boats it covers
A 0.2 per mille limit applies to boats that do at least 15 knots or are at least 10 metres long. How the drunk-boating rules and checks work.
Life jackets: rules, types and how to choose
50, 100, 150 or 275 Newton? How to choose the right lifejacket, what CE marking and EN ISO 12402 mean, and how to check an inflatable lifejacket.
Toilet waste from boats: rules and pump-out
Discharging toilet waste from leisure boats is prohibited. Here's how the rules, pump-out and harbours' responsibilities work.
Toilet emptying and pump-out stations: how to do it
Discharging toilet waste from leisure boats is prohibited in Sweden. How pump-out works, how to find a station and what your boat needs.
Antifouling: rules for bottom paint
Which antifouling paints can you use on the east coast, the west coast and in lakes? Plus brush washing, TBT and safe scraping.
Boat on a trailer: licence limits and your car's towing capacity
B, B96 and BE for boat trailers. The gross weight decides the licence, and the actual weight has to stay within the car's limits.
VHF certificate (SRC) and VHF channels: what you need
What paperwork you need for a VHF on a leisure boat, how to get an SRC certificate and a licence from PTS, and which channels to use for distress and calling.
Safety equipment on board: what the law requires and what you should carry
The law asks little of a Swedish leisure boat, but navigation lights, a sound signal and lifejackets are still the essentials. Checklist for boats under and over 12 metres.
Right-of-way rules at sea: who gives way?
Powerboat vs sailboat, head-on, crossing and overtaking: the give-way rules in the COLREGs explained with a table, plus what applies in narrow channels.
Navigation marks in Sweden: lateral, cardinal and special marks
How to read Swedish navigation marks: red and green lateral marks, cardinal mark topmarks and lights, isolated danger marks and yellow special marks. With table.
Boat engines: service and faults
All in category →Changing the impeller: when, how and signs of wear
The impeller cools the engine. How to tell it's worn, how to change it, and what to keep on hand.
Changing the oil in a boat engine: inboards and outboards
How to change the engine oil and oil filter on inboards and four-stroke outboards, and where to dispose of the waste oil.
Changing gearcase oil in outboards and drives: quantity, oil type and steps
Gearcase oil for outboards and drives: your model's oil type, quantity and filling method apply. Examples from the manuals and what to do about milky oil.
When should your outboard be serviced? Intervals from five brands
Service intervals for Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki, Honda and Tohatsu side by side. Whichever comes first, hours or calendar time, decides when the engine is due.
Drive bellows: when they need replacing and what the job involves
When the drive bellows need replacing, the difference between U-joint bellows and exhaust bellows, and how to order the right kit for your drive.
Boat engine temperature alarm: secure the boat and find the cooling fault
What to do right away when the engine overheats, and how to tell a blocked raw water supply from a fault in the closed cooling system.
Propeller losing grip: cavitation or ventilation?
The difference between cavitation and ventilation, what to do when the engine races and what to check before you change propeller.
E10 or alkylate petrol in your boat engine? The manual and the oil system decide
Whether the engine can handle E10 depends on the model. Here is how to keep ethanol content, octane rating and two-stroke oil apart when choosing between pump petrol and alkylate petrol.
Choose a propeller by pitch, diameter and WOT rpm
Read the propeller markings, calculate pitch and slip, and test-run against the engine's specified wide-open-throttle range.
Winterising your boat engine step by step
How to winterize inboard and outboard engines: antifreeze, oil, fuel, impeller and battery.
Winterising the outboard step by step
Flush, stabilise the fuel, change the oil and store the engine upright. How to get your outboard through the winter.
Replacing sacrificial anodes: zinc, aluminium or magnesium?
Which anode suits fresh, brackish and salt water, when to replace it and how to fit it correctly.
The boating year month by month
All in category →Spring commissioning and launch: checklist
Checklist before launching: hull, bottom, engine, safety and paperwork.
Winter storage: a checklist for the whole boat
Winter checklist: hull, water and toilet, batteries, cushions, fuel, cover and stands. The engine has its own guides.
Storing the boat ashore: stands, props, cradle and trailer
How to keep your boat stable this winter: weight on the cradle or keel, the right number of stands, chain between them and firm ground.
Covering the boat for winter: tarpaulin, shrink wrap or frame
How to cover your boat with a tarpaulin over a frame or with shrink wrap. Slopes that let snow slide off, ventilation under the cover and fastenings that don't disturb the stands.
Winterise the fresh water system and toilet on board
Drain the tank, pump and water heater. Winterise the toilet and pumps with propylene glycol, including the hose from the seacock.
Damp and mould in the boat: how to avoid it this winter
Why mould grows in a boat on land and what helps: a dry, clean boat, ventilation under the cover, and the right treatment for wood and canvas.
Winterising your boat engine step by step
How to winterize inboard and outboard engines: antifreeze, oil, fuel, impeller and battery.
Removing and sanding antifouling: methods, sandpaper and protection
Removing old antifouling or sanding before a new coat: which methods the Swedish Transport Agency recommends, which sandpaper to choose and how to protect yourself and the ground.
Polishing and waxing your boat: from dull to glossy gelcoat
Washing, rubbing compound, polish and wax. What order to do things in, which machines work and how often a gelcoat boat needs waxing.
Safety equipment on board: what the law requires and what you should carry
The law asks little of a Swedish leisure boat, but navigation lights, a sound signal and lifejackets are still the essentials. Checklist for boats under and over 12 metres.
Repairing and maintaining the boat
All in category →Repairing gelcoat: scrapes, stone chips and cracks
How to repair gelcoat yourself: assess the damage, sand, fill with gelcoat filler, sand in stages and polish. And when it is a job for the boatyard.
Gelcoat, topcoat, flowcoat or paint: what's the difference?
Gelcoat, topcoat, flowcoat, varnish, primer and antifouling explained. What cures in air, what works with epoxy and what to choose for stone chips, a worn surface, the whole hull and the bottom.
Repairing holes and cracks in a fibreglass boat: step by step
How to repair a hole or crack in a fibreglass hull with glass fibre and epoxy: grind a 12:1 bevel, laminate in layers and finish. And when to leave the job to a boatyard.
Polyester or epoxy: which resin should you repair your boat with?
Polyester or epoxy for your GRP boat? Differences in adhesion, mixing, temperature and glass fibre, and which material suits which repair.
Osmosis in GRP boats: recognising the blisters and choosing a fix
How to recognise osmosis in a GRP hull, measure moisture and choose between waiting, repairing individual blisters or doing a full osmosis treatment.
Soft deck: moisture in the sandwich core and how to fix it
Soft or spongy deck on your GRP boat? Find the moisture in the balsa or foam core, dry it and inject epoxy, or replace the core. Plus how to seal deck fittings.
Repairing an aluminium boat: leaking rivets, cracks and holes
Repair leaking rivets and seams, cracks and small holes in an aluminium boat with tough epoxy. Plus when welding or new rivets are the better choice.
Removing and sanding antifouling: methods, sandpaper and protection
Removing old antifouling or sanding before a new coat: which methods the Swedish Transport Agency recommends, which sandpaper to choose and how to protect yourself and the ground.
Seal leaking deck fittings with Sikaflex
Dripping in at a cleat, a rail or a hatch? Here's how to remove the fitting, clean, rebed it with the right sealant and protect the deck core from water.
Replacing a window on your boat: acrylic, sealing and scratches
Is a window leaking or cracked? How to replace an acrylic window, bond and seal with the right sealant, clean without damaging the plastic and remove scratches.
Teak decks: washing, oiling or leaving them be, and repairing the seams
How to care for a teak deck: wash along the grain, avoid pressure washers and harsh cleaners, decide whether to oil, and repair seams that have come loose.
Washing and waterproofing the boat canopy: mould, stains and windows
How to wash your boat canopy yourself, remove mildew, reproof it so it repels water again and look after the windows and zips.
Polishing and waxing your boat: from dull to glossy gelcoat
Washing, rubbing compound, polish and wax. What order to do things in, which machines work and how often a gelcoat boat needs waxing.
More guides
Used outboard: checks, serial number and the correct year of manufacture
How to check ownership, cold start and gearcase before you buy a used outboard, and how to read the year from the plate on Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki, Honda and Tohatsu.
The boat's 12-volt system and batteries: starting, consumption and charging
Starting battery or house battery, lead-acid, AGM or lithium? How to calculate power needs, charge correctly and track down the fault when the engine won't start.
Speed limits on the water: where they apply and where to find them
Sweden has no general speed limit for leisure boats on the water. Speed limits are local. Here is how to find them, and how much speeding costs.
Guest harbours: how staying in a guest harbour works
Mooring, harbour fees, shore power, pump-out and rules in guest harbours. Plus how to find guest harbours along the coast and when anchoring in a natural harbour is an alternative.
Find the engine number on a Volvo Penta
Where are the identification plate and serial number on a Volvo Penta engine, and what do you need the number for?
Shore power on your boat: how to connect 230 V safely
RCD, the right cable, CEE plug and galvanic isolator. How to get shore power into the boat without risking shocks, fire or corrosion.
Launching and retrieving your boat from a trailer: step by step
Bung in, straps off, engine up, reverse gently and a line on the bow. How to launch from a ramp and recover the boat again.
Sell your boat with a clear price, a contract and a safe handover
Write the ad, document the condition and draw up a clear boat contract. Checklist for private sale and handover.
Tools
Knots
Bowline
A fixed loop, for example around a bollard.
Figure-eight knot
A stopper knot that prevents the line from running through a fitting.
Two half hitches
Secures a line around a post or ring under steady load.
Reef knot
Ties two ends together around a bundle or a furled sail.
Sheet bend
Joins two lines, especially when they are of different thickness.
Round turn and two half hitches
Mooring around a bollard with a round turn and two half hitches.
Slipped hitch
A temporary, quick-release hitch with a pull-out bight.
Cleating
Makes a line fast to a cleat.