History of the harbour traffic

The traffic in Stockholm's harbour has a long history which goes back to the 18th century when rowing madames ran the transportation between different parts of the city. The rowing boats where stationed by rowing stairs. There where no regular routes that were served, the passengers decided where they wanted to go. In 1786 the first rowing route was established. The rowing madames where replaced by "dalkullor" who rowed their so called "kullboats". In the 1830's the "kullboats" got special routes to Djurgården among other places. The "kullboats" were replaced in the 1850's by so called "vevslupar" and packet-boats.

The first steam launch company was established in 1853

and opened routes between Riddarhusgränd and Röda bodarna, nowadays called Tegelbacken. Stockholms Ångslupsaktiebolag (SÅA) was established in 1863. The company grew and had in the 1880's 54 steam launches and steam boats that operated on about 20 routes. At the turn of the century the land transportations had started to take up competition with the sea transportations and the number of ferries kept decreasing. October 1st 1970 KSL, nowadays called Stockholms Läns Landsting, bought all stocks in AB Djurgårdsvarvet. By that Waxholmsbolaget Stockholms Ångslupsaktiebolags (SÅAs) took over the harbour routes Slussen - Allmänna gränd and Nybroplan - Almänna gränd with six djurgården ferries.