Isbrytaren Sankt Erik

About the museum

Sankt Erik was built at Finnboda shipyard and launched in 1915 as Isbrytaren II. The City of Stockholm ordered the ship to keep the approaches to the capital’s harbours open in winter. She was Sweden’s first ocean-going icebreaker and was built as a classic Baltic icebreaker, with a sturdy hull and a raked bow that let her ride up onto the ice and crush it with her weight.

During her working life the ship was often hired by the state to help shipping further north in the Bothnian Bay and along the Skåne coast. After a rebuild in 1958 she was renamed Sankt Erik, after Stockholm’s patron saint. In the bow there is a propeller that jets water under the ice, and a special rolling system let the ship rock back and forth to widen the channel for other ships.

Below deck, two three-cylinder steam engines do the work. The aft engine, rated at 2,800 horsepower, is still Sweden’s largest preserved marine steam engine. Sankt Erik was taken out of service in 1977 and has been a museum ship since 1980. The vessel is about 60 metres long and 17 metres wide, and had a crew of 30. She was K-märkt in 2018 following an application from the friends’ association Isbrytaren S/S Sankt Eriks vänner. The ship lies at the Sjöhistoriska ship pier and belongs to Sjöhistoriska museet (the Swedish Maritime Museum).

Highlights

• Sweden’s first ocean-going icebreaker, built in 1915
• Aft steam engine rated at 2,800 horsepower, Sweden’s largest preserved marine steam engine
• Engine room and ship interiors to experience on board
• Special hull shape with a rolling system for icebreaking
• K-märkt heritage vessel since 2018

Permanent exhibition

• Isbrytaren Sankt Erik – Visitors can go on board Sweden’s first ocean-going icebreaker and see how icebreaking work was done in the first half of the 20th century, including at the steam engines.

Founded

1980

Operated by

Sjöhistoriska museet (Statens museer för maritim, transport- och försvarshistoria)

Admission & discounts

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Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

The ship pier is at Galärvarvsvägen 24, below Vasamuseet by the water.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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