The boats that have piloted Docksta through a century
Saab’s shipyard in Docksta is delivering its last pilot boat for a while, but these vessels have paved the way for the success the shipyard enjoys today. Pilot boats have been part of Docksta’s DNA since 1916, when the first wooden-hulled cutter was delivered.
120 years of history and more than a century of pilot boats
This year, Saab’s shipyard in Docksta celebrates its 120th anniversary. For over a century, the yard has built pilot boats, starting with the wooden-hulled “SKAGSBÅTEN.” By the late 1950s, around twenty wooden cutters had been delivered, all designed and built with a strong focus on seakeeping abilities, a quality that quickly earned Docksta its reputation.
Bridging tradition and innovation
The early years in Docksta were dominated by wooden constructions, but by the mid-1950s the shipyard had also begun working with steel and aluminium. At the same time, its repair operations for commercial vessels continued to grow. Throughout the 1940s and well into the 1950s, very few new pilot boats were built. That changed when the former Swedish Pilot Administration was reorganised and merged into the Swedish Maritime Administration, leading to an extensive modernisation of the fleet.
Old cutters received new diesel engines, upgraded electrical systems, oil-fired heating boilers and VHF radios. Docksta was awarded a contract to build “GÅSÖREN,” the first steel-built boat from the shipyard and delivered in 1957.
Karl-Anders Sundin, one of the brothers who owned Docksta Shipyard before Saab acquired it in 2017. Here 11 years old on the first steel cutter ‘GÅSÖREN,’ delivered by the shipyard to the Swedish Maritime Administration in 1957.
The MIG welder that changed everything
In the 1960s, the Swedish Coast Guard became a regular customer with its light-metal vessels, prompting the shipyard to acquire its first MIG welder, the starting point for the aluminium construction that remains one of Docksta’s core strengths today.
By 1969, the shipyard had delivered its first aluminium build, positioning Docksta for the strategically important order from the Swedish Maritime Administration in 1974, which was investing in high-speed pilot boats. The prototype developed in Docksta marked the beginning of a long line of new builds and opened the door to the export market.
Setting course for the world
By the late 1970s, it became clear that the Maritime Administration’s procurement rate would decrease significantly. To avoid relying solely on one-off domestic builds, Docksta began looking abroad.
The first export order came from Turkey in 1981. It started with a prototype built in Docksta, followed by four license-built vessels in Istanbul and then an additional 44.
This experience in license production became an important foundation for the licensing program that today centres around the Combat Boat 90. Since 2020, CB90 has been license-produced in Peru through Saab’s Technical Transfer Program, and previously in Malaysia, Mexico and the United States. In Mexico alone, more than 60 boats have been produced, with Docksta supplying material and technical supervision.
In recent decades, Docksta has also delivered around 50 pilot boats to Denmark, Norway, Germany and the United Kingdom. Most recently, the third pilot boat of the year was delivered to Germany.
- We are deeply honoured by the trust we’ve been given over the years. That our boats are still valued for their seaworthiness and quality means a great deal to us. Due to the strong demand for Combat Boat 90, we have for the first time had to decline pilot boat orders. It was a difficult but necessary decision, both considering the global situation and to ensure good conditions for our employees and the business going forward, says Anders Hellman, Head of BU Docksta
A moment of pride and pause, the last pilot boat for now
On Friday, “HAVING” departed from Docksta bound for Germany. The customer is Lotsbetrieb GmbH Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and this will be their eighth pilot boat from Docksta. “HAVING” is a 17-metre Baltic Pilot, designed by the customer and built by Docksta. The project was led by Joakim Nordén, an experienced boatbuilder and project manager.
- It has been incredibly rewarding to work with these pilot boats. As a project manager you get a completely different overall perspective. We deliver high-quality vessels, and I’ve had the privilege of working with exceptionally skilled colleagues, says Joakim.
Unlike Combat Boat 90, which is usually shipped by trailer, pilot boats are typically delivered by sea. Joakim and K-A Sundin, senior consultant and former owner of the shipyard, sailed “HAVING” from Docksta via Härnösand and onward to Rindö, where the customer took over on Sunday to head to its final destination, Rostock.
- There are always two sides to a delivery. You’re proud and satisfied, but there’s also a sense of melancholy, especially this time, knowing it will be a while before the next pilot boat. Luckily, there’s no shortage of exciting new projects ahead, adds Joakim.