Svea

The Svea left Lysekil, Sweden, on August 31, 1947, with 16 Latvians and eight Estonians on board. There were 13 men, five women, and six children. The captain was Peteris Licis, a Latvian, who had pursued maritime studies as a young man.

In 1961, Vaba Eesti Sōna published a story about the Svea by passenger George Madison: “… with a group of like-minded friends, we pooled our money and bought a 42-feet-long (12.8 meters), two-masted coastal sailboat named Svea that had been built 51 years earlier and was equipped with a small engine as well as sails. Throughout its life, the boat had been used to make coastal trips to transport rocks, sand, salt, and the like. Although unpainted, the Svea was still quite a sturdy boat.” (Other sources report that the auxiliary schooner was 54 feet long (16.5 meters). 

The boat’s new owners inspected the underwater section, built berths in the cargo space, bought a sextant, and loaded water, fuel, and provisions for the long journey. At their first stop in Skagen, Denmark, they were not allowed to go ashore but managed to buy nautical maps for the journey. 

Favorable winds carried the Svea to Dover, England, but a storm in the English Channel forced the boat to seek shelter. A 22-year-old male passenger was so unnerved by the storm he jumped overboard and tried to swim to shore but was picked up by police and returned to the boat. The Svea encountered more storms and an engine breakdown in the Bay of Biscay, but eventually it reached Coruña, Spain. The boat was not allowed to dock for several days, but then, under heavy guard, the sailors were allowed to go ashore to buy fuel and supplies.