Swedish women with wooden boats

On a research trip to Denmark, I reconnected with circumnavigator friend Silvija Springis, whose first ocean trip across the Atlantic was in a wooden boat. She and her husband built a 50' fiberglass boat named Magnum Bonum for their circumnavigation, but she understands why I've migrated to wood for my own boat. In trying to track down Pax' history in Denmark (and Sweden, since these boats often cruise across the Oresund Sea to Sweden), I sent her photos of the boat and asked for her help. She recognized the detail of a wooden boat in her home sailing club, VSS (a club where more than half the members own wooden boats), owned by a Swiss/Swedish woman named Lotta. Lotta was described as "loving her wooden boat almost more than her daughters!" and "the most active sailor in our very active club." Lotta's boat, Agnete, is in fact a S30 spidsgatter, the "cover girl" of the only book published about Danish Spidsgatters. She has owned it for several years and is both restoring it and sailing it often! I flew to Stockholm for a day and sailed right into the heart of Stockholm harbor, then circumnavigated the first island of the famous Swedish archipelago with Lotta, her oldest daughter and my friend, Silvija. That day we met another woman boat owner, Helena Thorslund from Gotteberg (western Sweden). Helena was in Stockholm for the same reason I was. Researching her boat! Her boat was a "Laurin Koster" and she'd been corresponding with a man who owned a beautiful one and kept it at VSS. The name of her boat is Camara. Here's a little from my correspondence with Helena: "Camara is 50 years (there is a cotton-main sail in beautiful condition and the sailbag is marked with her number H6 S37 and year 1959). I have halfpart of her history. She is a "Laurin - koster" by Arvid Laurin. Enclose some pic's of Camara and also a small sailing boat from 1932 (constructors name Sven Thorell) wich one I have owned since I was ten years old. I only just bought her (nov 2008. Camara is still not launched. If we work hard, hopefully in 1-2 weeks she will be on water." To see photos of Helena's boat and progress, visit her website. Like me, Helena also rides horses and draws great solace from the wind.

Comments

[Helena]

Hi!
Love to check your site now and then. Just lovely to read about your trip to Sweden!
I wanted to tell that I now have the full story of Camara's owners right to the person who ordered her!
To see latest progress with CAMARA; the site www.windsong.se works better! CAMARA has now a newbuilt shelter - just made for girl of her size - to really make things happen with more speed this winter. There is also som new pic's from our Laurin-koster meet on the site.
Kindest regards from Helena, Sweden