Rules

Rules to Conquer the Sea Paddlers Blue Ribbon of Sweden

Valid from 2022
  1. Start and finish must be announced on the homepage or by e-mail or letter. See details on the next page.
  2. Starting fee is not applied.
  3. Minimum age at time of start is 18 years.
  4. Starting point: The land-abutment of the old Svinesund bridge at the Swedish side.
  5. Finishing point: The border marker Nº 59 at the outflow of the Torne River at Virtakari point on the Swedish side just south of Haparanda town. The river forms border between Finland and Sweden. The trip is concluded when the paddler pats the border marker.
  6. Once under way the paddler should without delay give the correct start date by SMS or a call. Mobile phone number will be given in confirmation of announcement.
  7. Abandoned tour should be notified by SMS or call.
  8. Finishing notifications to be announced by e-mail or letter within a week after finish. See details on the next page.
  9. The trip should be undertaken in a single seakayak (not surfski or similar). All provisions and equipment carried on board the kayak from start. Change of kayak is not allowed nor is organized following support by car or else.
    1. Should a kayak be stolen during the tour may however a new kayak be fetched with support from the outside.
    2. Repairs should be made by the paddler himself, why a repair kit ought to be part of the equipment. Should damages of such extent occur that the paddler is not capable of within reasonable result make the repair, remains the fact to abandon. If engaging help from the outside one always got the alternative to make a new application and restart from Svinesund or continue the journey outside HBB.
  10. Each daily distance and spot for campsite should carefully be entered in a log. All days including day of start and finish are considered fully paddling days. The trip should be completed within one and same calender year.
  11. The entire tour should be undertaken in the sea without portages. The paddler's route at sea should thus be possible to follow as a coherent line from start to goal. It is allowed to paddle through all canals without locks.
  12. For propelling the kayak only the use of paddle is allowed.
  13. There are no checkpoint along the route. Each paddler's kayak-honour is a guarantee of that the rules will be complied with. After completion the paddler will give an account of the tour before the jury.
  14. All those, who according to the rules, complete the paddling, will be awarded the Seapaddler’s Blue Ribbon, regardless of how many days the paddler has used. Any paddler is free to obtain the Seapaddler’s Blue Ribbon more than once.
  15. Each paddler’s name, age, year of completion and number of paddling days will be put on display in a glass showcase with a styled miniature kayak and a blue ribbon at Västerås Kanotförening.
  16. In case the slightest doubts concerning the rules should arise, ask for information before the start or during the paddling. Nothing would be more painful for a jury than to reject a trip on the grounds that a paddler has taken too lightly on the rules.

The meaning with the rules for obtaining HBB is that the paddler after own ability, own navigation and with good seamanship shall carry the tour through by own strength and navigate the craft in to port without any support from the outside.
 
AS ALWAYS: THE RESPONSIBILITY IS YOURS.

 


Starting notification

Start must be announced on the homepage, by e-mail or letter to:
Havspaddlarnas Bla Band (HBB)
c/o Peter Sjodin
Ishavsvagen 6, 72231 Vasteras
E-post: peter.s@havspaddlarnasblaband.se

Must contain the following information:

  • Name of paddler
  • Day of Birth
  • Address, including e-mail address if available
  • Home phone number and mobile phone number
  • Link to homepage/blog reproducing log-book during the tour
  • Type of kayak – brand and model
  • Safety equipment carried
  • Start date should also be included. As the weather situation is unpredictable this date is considered preliminary
  • Anmälningsformulär

Finishing notification

 

Finishish notification must be announced by e-mail or letter within a week after finish to:
Havspaddlarnas Bla Band (HBB)
c/o Peter Sjodin
Ishavsvagen 6, 72231 Vasteras
E-post: peter.s(at)havspaddlarnasblaband.se

Must contain the following information:

  • Confirmation of the previously indicated starting date
  • Date and time for finishing i.e. when touching border marker no 59
  • Number of paddling days
  • Distance paddled in kilometres
  • Paddlers who, as a memento of the trip wish to have their own handmade HBB miniature kayak personalised with their name, can obtain one at the cost which currently is 500 SEK (as of 2021). The paddler should in this case indicate this in the finishing notification.

Jury meeting
After completion the paddler will give an account of the tour before the jury. Alternativly could a paddler post (return postage enclosed) or in person hand over log and a statement saying: "With my kayak-honor at stake, I have taken part of the rules, understood them and complied with them” to: Peter Sjödin, Ishavsvägen 6, 722 31 Västerås
Documentations of the tour will be returned or be available to pick up after the jury's decision. The scrutinising by the jury shall be possible to take place within the present year.