HSwMS NordKaparen
HSwMS Nordkaparen (Nor) is a submarine of Draken class which since 1988 can be visited at Gothenburg Maritime Center . Gothenburg Maritime Center, also called Maritiman, is located on the quayside between the Gothenburg Opera and Gothenburg Casino .
HSwMS Nordkaparen, which was built at Kockums Mekaniska Verkstad in Malmö, was launched in March 1961 and was taken into service by the Swedish Navy the following year. When Nordkaparen was built, her stern was different from previous Swedish submarines - it was very streamlined and had cross rudders. Nordkaparen also distinguished itself by having a large, slow-moving propeller instead of double propellers, which made it much quieter than its predecessors. Furthermore, Nordkaparen was provided with a very modern system at the time which meant that the torpedoes could be wired. The torpedoes were also placed in a revolver magazine, which made it possible to reload the torpedo tubes both easier and faster than with older Swedish submarines. To be able to salvage training torpedoes, Nordkaparen had a torpedo crane on the foredeck.
On September 18, 1980, the North Cape was very close to colliding with a Soviet submarine in the Stockholm archipelago, between Utö and Huvudskär.
The incident took place in connection with a speed test being carried out. The Northern Cape operated together with one of the navy's helicopters for submarine hunting, and this had sunk its hydrophone into the water. Just when the crew of Nordkaparen was about to start the tests, they were called by the helicopter who wondered if there were two submarines that would carry out speed tests. Nordkaparen replied that it was alone in carrying out the test, and then rose to the surface for safety reasons. Just when the North Cape broke the water surface, a Soviet submarine passed under the North Cape's keel - and the distance between the two was no more than a decimeter!
The incident, which took place during the Cold War, received a great deal of attention and prompted a two-week search for foreign submarines in Swedish waters.
The incident with Nordkaparen and the Soviet submarine took place between Utö and Huvudskär in the Stockholm archipelago. Utö, which is located approximately 16 km northeast of Nynäshamn, is one of the largest islands in Stockholm's southern archipelago and lies far out towards open, unprotected water. In the early 1940s, the state bought the southern part of the island, evicted the residents there and built large firing ranges.
Huvudskär is located east of Utö, in Stockholm's southern outer archipelago, and is just like Utö very exposed to the weather from the open sea. This is not a solitary island but an archipelago consisting of over 150 islands, cobs and skerries. During the Second World War, most residents moved away from Huvudskär for security reasons and Huvudskär was then used mainly for military activities, sea rescue and weather reporting.
Nordkaparen was taken out of service in 1988 and has since been part of Gothenburg's Maritime Center, where the submarine can still be visited.
Since 2014, the basic exhibition "Life under the surface" has been here, which gives visitors an insight into what it was like to work on board a submarine during the Cold War. As a visitor, you get to climb into the cramped spaces and listen to the sound from the hydrophone.
Gothenburg Maritime Center is located right next to Gothenburg Casino. The casino holds courses where you can learn to play. You can also learn to play online. If you learn to play in an online casino, you get a bonus , something you do not get at the Casino in Gothenburg. The casino has a good restaurant where you can eat after visiting Nordkaparen. You can also eat at S / s Marieholm. A steamboat used as a restaurant. If you are going to stay overnight, you can stay at Barken Viking. A boat used as a hotel.
