History of Kungsörs Boatyard

The current yard at Tegeludden was built 1939.

The first boatyard in Kungsör was founded by Oscar Schelin 1914. The following year, he co-founded Kungsörs yacht club and got orders for the society first lot boat, a 22 sq archipelago cruisers with dimensions of 8.70 x 1.63 m. The boat cost 550 SEK to build. O. Schelin was at that time only 19 years. This was his first "big boat" and the beginning of an endless stream of boats that left Kungsörs boatyard.

KSS lot boat, a 22 sqm archipelago cruisers, was built in Uncle George's wagon building shop located far from the water and worn by society's members from mid Kungsör to Arbogaån to be launched. Rowing boats, motor boats and lots of small craft built to sail societies, leaving in this way the wagon building shop, which soon became too crowded.

1918 Oscar Schelin bought a plot of land and built a boatyard opposite Kungsudden on a former scrap-heap. Despite his youth, he established himself as a boat builder and he had three employees. He built many boats here and a number of 22 sq archipelago cruisers that was designed by KE Sjögren.

1921 Oscar Schelin received by the Royal National Board a scholarship to a two-year education in America. Fellowship amount was SEK 1000 and would be enough to travel and accommodation. SEK 800 was swallowed by the travel expenses. Eight months later, he returned to Kungsör and described: "The Americans were good at series-built boats but could not compare with the Swedish boat craft in terms of finish and quality."

Oscar Schelin 1895 - 1980

22 sqm. Designer: K E Sjögren. Oscar Schelin first lottbåt built in Uncle George's shop, 1915.

KSS lot boat 1915. Behind the Sofia Bridge is Oscar's childhood home where his father was the bridge operator.

Yacht racing in the 1920s

Boatyard at Kristineberg. KSS - Kungsörs Sailing society lot boat, 1924.

Boatyard at Kristineberg and Erik Sörberg's SK 40 Milonga built 1925.

The boats are larger and the ceiling height is shrinking in the premises, Kristineberg 1936.

INT. 5A. Lot boat KSSS in 1937. In front of boatyard in Kristineberg.

A 30 sqm double-truck towed to the yard for export abroad. 1938.

Also this boatyard was too small.

1922 Oscar Schelin bought one piece of land in Kristineberg. The site was upstream of the bridge but was not an ideal location for shipbuilding. Traffic on Arbogaån was intense and strong power. Barge Towed crowded together in anticipation of the bridge opening. Barges drifted into the yard grinding with constant repairs that result.

Despite the bad location many award-winning yachts left the shipyard, boat buildings which gave Oscar Schelin fame both in Sweden and abroad.

1936 Kungsörs boatyard built a brick saw. The sawmill had a greater capacity than the yard required and undertook subcontracting sawing for other shipyards as well as other wood importers. Oak bar for parquet floor was another product that left the saw.

The boats had over time become ever greater. Ceiling height was not enough and builds grew out of the old premises. Launching became more difficult amongst barges and other boat traffic, which had also increased.

Kungsörs boatyard was in the 1930 and 1940, Sweden's largest manufacturer of boat fittings. The shipyard constructed models and Sörberg's Fixture Factory in Kungsör did cast in bronze. The boatyard then reviewed and processed the raw materials into beautiful boat fittings. A large selection of these bronze and brass fittings are still in the yard.

1938 Oscar Schelin bought land at Tegeludden situated at the mouth of Arbogaån. Here was a 600-square-meter building built. Extensive dredging created a perfect port. 1939 was the time for the move. The boatyard was moved from Kristineberg to Tegeludden where there was plenty of room to expand. The boatyard had gained an increasingly expanding order book and also a shipping order by Swedish navy.

Minesweeper M10 and M 23 was launched from the shipyard in 1941. These were built in mahogany and oak. To all mahogany lover's horror the finished hull was painted in navy gray.

During World War II Germany ordered 45 fishing boats from the swedish ship service. The order was distributed among various boatyards in Sweden. Four of these vessels were built by Kungsörs boatyard.

The first house at Tegeludden in 1938. A. Edvald Olsson's 95 Ostsee on the road in to winter storage.

Felling of Oak in Älghagen for the minesweepers. The forest was planted by the Crown for maritime transport. From left Per Schelin, Nils-Erik Granberg and Göran Schelin.

Two Swedish minesweepers built in oak and mahogany, years 1939-1940.

Two of four vessels built for Germany during the 1940s.

High ceilings. Interior from the new shipyard at Tegeludden, 1942.

CEO Rygaard´s Sea Cruiser St. Anna launched in 1943.

Oak and mahogany stock at Tegeludden, 1946.

Skerry cruiser 22 SQM to the boat exhibition at Ostermans Marble Halls in Stockholm 1946th. The bags on the cars were wood to produce gas.

Life-saving boat Stocka, built for Norrland 1948th

Boats with a worldwide reputation

Sailboats from Kungsörs yards were exported worldwide. The shipyard's reputation made that the leading designers hired the boatyard.

A large number of boats where sent to America, including 20 "Ljungströmare" which with its different design aroused great interest in the big country.

Among the most notable Swedish craft built at the shipyard is the ones for Lasse Thörn. There were three A22 and five 5:5, which all came to be called Rush. The first Rush a A22, built in 1936. The last "Rush Vlll" wad built in 1968 and was also the last wooden boat to leave the boatyard.

5:5 "Rush V" took gold in Olympic´s in Melbourne 1956th. "Rush VII" took silver in Tokyo 1964. Five of 5:5 boats who competed in Tokyo was built on Kungsors boatyard.

"Ljungströmaren" Elly sailing in the 1950th. Built for export to the United States.

5.5m yacht in front of current plastic workshop, 1959. In the cockpit Oscar Schelin.

Skerry cruiser 22 SQM built for export to Chicago in 1959. Ready for test sailing. From Left: Lasse Thörn, Per Schelin and Oscar Schelin.

Oscar Schelin at the construction of a 5:5 a in 1962.

Three 5:5 under construction.

Schelin cruisers. The last of four wooden boats that were built and became the plug for future construction in plastic. Stockholm International Boat Show in 1968th

Oscar Schelin's son, Per, had in 1961 designed and built a sailboat with dimensions of 8.50 x 2.50 m, for the time, quite impressive dimensions. With this as a model Oscar Schelin made a boat with dimensions of 10.56 x 2,72 m and called the creation Schelin-cruiser. The first boat was ready for launching 1964th. The shipyard built four of this construction in mahogany. The last was plug for the forthcoming plastic constructions. Schelin cruisers of plastic was manufactured in Koping, but the wooden interior was completed, however, in Kungsör. Later took the plastics industry in Norrbotten Karlsvik over the manufacturing of the schelin-cruisers.

A more detailed description of Kungsörs boatyard and Oscar Schelin can be found in the Museum Association of Sweden Yachts yearbook 1984, authored by Jannike Henrikson.