FEATURE STORIES

Ronny steers the tour boat out into the archipelago

Do you long for salty waters, cliffs, the open sea, and picturesque archipelago scenery near Skellefteå? It’s actually just a boat ride away. In just a few years, Nordisk Sjötaxi has become an important link to Skellefteå’s archipelago. Behind the company is sea lover Ronny Lindström.

It’s a late-summer morning in Skelleftehamn. Boats of all sizes are moored in the Kurjoviken marina. Here, you're close to both the open sea and where the Skellefte River meets the sea, and boaters are well sheltered in all kinds of weather. The marina has a restaurant for anyone who gets hungry out on the water. Ronny Lindström is standing on a pier, pulling on a rope. This is where his company, Nordisk Sjötaxi, is based. They operate both a water taxi service and contracted passenger service to islands such as Gåsören, Hamnskär, Halsön, and Pite-Rönnskär. The trips depart from Kurjoviken, Furögrund, and Kinnbäck. It’s a business that gives a lot back, Ronny says.

“It’s the joy you see in people’s faces when they get out on the water that makes it all worth it. I haven’t seen a single sour face out on the water yet,” he says.

The idea had been in the works for a long time. Ronny grew up with boating in the Luleå archipelago and found it hard to let go of the sea, even as his career took new directions. For many years, he ran a video production company, but after selling it in 2017, he began thinking about something new.

“I wanted a smaller business to work on. When this opportunity came up, it felt right to invest in a water taxi service. And over time, it became more serious than I’d originally imagined,” he says.

It started with one boat and grew quickly. Today, the company has four boats, a service workshop, and winter storage for boats. During the height of summer, three employed captains take guests out to Skellefteå’s archipelago, while Ronny himself usually handles bookings and marketing.

“We have six busy weeks after Midsummer. The peak season is in July and August, but we’re trying to extend the season with conferences and charter trips,” he says.

Skellefteå’s archipelago is less well-known than Luleå’s, but Skellefteå Municipality actually has the country’s longest coastline and around 600 islands.

“People sometimes say that Skellefteå doesn’t have an archipelago. But we do. It just looks a little different. The river mouths are like small fjords. It’s more varied than many people think,” says Ronny.

Sometimes he also runs special tours, such as picking up guests by the river in town, passing through the lock at Bergsbydammen, and continuing out toward the sea.

“It’s a fantastic trip on a balmy June evening. The water is as smooth as glass; you pick up dinner in Kurjoviken and then glide out toward the islands. It’s an experience many have never tried,” he says.

Interest in Skellefteå’s archipelago is growing, but there’s still plenty left to explore. Ronny mentions a few favorites: Halsön for those who want to swim, Hamnskär for its cliffs and sauna, and Gåsören for its cultural history and the old lighthouse.

“It’s magical out on Gåsören, both in July and when the first snow falls in October. The sea is constantly changing. It’s that variety that makes it special,” he says.

When summer is over, he returns to his other profession, which is video production. Together with his two sons, Ronny broadcasts trotting races from all over northern Sweden.

“I get to work with both of my passions. It’s a privilege,” he says. But the sea remains the center of his life.

For Ronny, it’s all about freedom: the chance to cast off and, in theory, go anywhere.

“Living by the sea is different from living by a lake. It’s the feeling that the world begins here. And that it’s never the same two days in a row,” he says.

As more and more people are drawn to the coast, Skellefteå also has a chance to grow as a tourist destination—something Ronny wants to continue being a part of. He envisions more tours, longer seasons, and even closer collaboration with businesses and organizations in the archipelago. In a few years, he hopes that Skellefteå’s archipelago will be an integral part of Skellefteå’s image.

“This is just the beginning,” he says.

Text: Olov Antonsson

Photo: Tilda Olofsgård