The ''Gustafsberg VII'' is a motor vessel, and former steam ship, that was built in 1912 at Oskarshamn. In 1929 she was sold to

Waxholmsbolaget Waxholms Ångfartygs AB, commonly referred to as Waxholmsbolaget, is a shipping company owned by Stockholm county council and is responsible for the seaborne public transport in the Stockholm archipelago and Stockholm harbour. The company, which i ...

. After being written off in a sinking accident in 1964, she was bought by steamship enthusiasts, salvaged and restored. In 1973,

Strömma Kanalbolaget Ångfartygs AB Strömma Kanal, better known as the Strömma Kanalbolaget, is an operator of tourist shipping services in and around Stockholm, Sweden, as well as a number of ferry routes under the name Cinderellabåtarna in the same area. It is par ...

bought the ship. She was converted to diesel power in 1985, and is now used for tourist services in the Stockholm archipelago. Over the years, she has also operated under the names ''Gustavsberg VII'' and ''Saxaren''.

History

''Gustafsberg VII'' was ordered by the Gustavsberg porcelain factory, principally to transport their products from their factory, She was built as a steam ship by the

Oskarshamn Shipyard Oskarshamn Shipyard is a shipbuilding and repair facility located in Oskarshamn, Sweden. General information The shipyard company was established in 1863, when a dry dock was built in Oskarshamn. About 540 vessels have been built and launched at t ...

in Oskarshamn and was delivered to the Gustavsberg factory in May 1912. She ran on a route between

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

and Gustavsberg via the . In around 1925, the spelling of the name was changed to ''Gustavsberg VII''. In December 1929, she was purchased by Waxholms Nya Ångfartygs AB, better known as Waxholmsbolaget, who gave her the name ''Saxaren'' and run her on the route between Stockholm and via . In May 1964, the ''Saxaren'' capsized and sank at Stor-Krån's dock in western and was written off by her insurers as beyond economic repair. The sunken ship was sold to a pair of students and steamboat enthusiasts, Staffan Lindhé and Hans Johansson, for 1,200 kronor. The ship was subsequently salvaged and repaired, and, after an abortive sale to

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

interests, was sold to

in 1973. In 1974, she regained her original name of ''Gustafsberg VII'' and, at the wedding of Princess Christina and

Tord Magnuson Tord Gösta Magnuson (born 7 April 1941) is a Swedish business executive and the consul general for Mauritius. He is married to Princess Christina of Sweden, the youngest of the older sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf. With the deaths of John Ambl ...

, transported the royal couple and their wedding guests from Stockholm to

Drottningholm Palace The Drottningholm Palace ( sv, Drottningholms slott) is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. Drottningholm is near the capital Stockholm. Built on the island Lovön (in Ekerö Municipality of Stockholm County), it is one of Swede ...

. In 1985, the ''Gustafsberg VII'' was converted to diesel power, and her original steam engines were transferred to the Oskarshamn Maritime Museum, where they are still on display. In 2013, she reprised her 1974 role, by carrying the guests of the wedding between

Princess Madeleine Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

and

Christopher O'Neill Christopher Paul O'Neill, KNO (born 27 June 1974) is a British-American financier and husband of Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, with whom he has three children. He did not take any titles or become a Swedish citiz ...

from Stockholm to Drottningholm.

Operation

The ''Gustafsberg VII'' is operated by

on cruises through the Stockholm archipelago that operate from the in Stockholm. Some of these cruises follow the ships's original route to Gustavsberg via the and

Baggensstäket Baggensstäket (also Baggarstäket or Södra stäket) is a strait in the Stockholm archipelago, between the island of Värmdö and the mainland (Södermanland). It is part of the waterway between the firth of and bay of . The waterway conti ...

waterways. The ''Gustafsberg VII'' has a length of , a beam of , a draft of and a tonnage of . She has a top speed of and carries 260 passengers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gustafsberg VII (1912) 1912 ships Passenger ships of Sweden Ships built in Oskarshamn