The Privateering History of Daftö
The year is 1710, Karl XII is king and Sweden is a great power. Sweden has lost an important battle in Poltava, and the king has been forced into exile in Turkey. Fighting wars on all fronts is costly, and it’s challenging to bring goods into the country. Somehow, the economic situation must be solved, and an idea for privateering under the crown’s flag emerges. The country needs privateers to weaken the enemy while also strengthening Sweden's economy. Said and done, the first privateer ships soon set sail from Gothenburg's harbor with the goal of seizing the enemy’s cargo.
Eight years later – 1718
Onboard the privateer ship, Captain Svartkrut scans the horizon. For eight long years, the crew has seized, plundered and stolen enemy cargo with great success. But this voyage is different. Strömstad is the destination, and the cargo's contents are a secret. As they approach Strömstad, they are greeted by an alarm: this city is in flames.
The words echo:
- Burn the ships, the king has fallen and the enemy is coming!
Burn the privateer ship? Never in his life. Captain Svartkrut thinks to himself, I'd rather fall from the enemy's guns. Now, they truly deserters. They must hide, quickly finding a shletered bay where no other ship dares to follow. The captain remembers a small bay inside the Koster Islands. He gathers the crew.
- Listen up, we'll seek shelter. Daftö will be our sanctuary. If anoyone objects, you can leave the ship here and now.
The privateer ship sneaks through sound and narrow passages. The mast disappears behind the cliffs just as the Danish-flagged fleet appears above Strömstad. The seafaring days are over. Now, the adventures continue on Daftö.
(We have, of course, taken the liberty of modifying the story slightly.)
The latest shipwreck discovery in Daftö Bay confirms the story
It has long been known that piracy under the crown's flag, with the aim of strengthening the crown, occurred just outside Daftö. But the latest shipwreck discovery is nonetheless sensational, confirming that privateers likely operated at our exact coordinates.
As recently as the fall of 2019, a team of marine archaeologists made an exciting discovery just by the dock of our guest harbor. The discovery was a wreck believed to be one of Karl XII's warships, used in the Swedish navy during the 18th century. The archaeologists' theory about the ship is that it was engaged in the battle abd then sunk by its own crew to prevent it from being captured by the enemy.
- The ship that lies here at the bottom of the sea was likely used to defend Strömstad. Now it's up to us to protect and tell the ship's story,
says Lena Kempe, CEO at Daftö.
Ships and pirates are undeniably part of our history and identity. Now we await with excitement what the next find on the bottom of the sea might be – perhaps a hidden pirate treasure.
Pirates on Daftö – Tordenskjold's victory brought the pirates to Daftö.
It is not only in skiing that we Swedes sometimes get defeated by our Norwegian friends. We suffered a major blow when Peter Tordenskjold defeated Karl XII's Swedish fleet in the battle of Dynekilen, just north of Strömstad. But some of the Swedish privateers involved managed to escape. They are the ones who appear up here at Daftö from time to time.
The adventure at sea had to be replaced with adventures at Daftö – and thank goodness for that! Here, the days are filled with treasure hunts, thrilling rides in attractions, tours with the Daftö train, and much more fun. Sometimes, though, the longing for the sea becomes too strong. Before the pirates det sail, they invite you to join them – for example, you can join them on a trip to Treasure Island.
Read more about the boat trip to Treasure Island (Skattkammarön), which can be experienced during the summer.
What happened to Tordenskjold?
He died from a sword thrust in a duel in 1722 with the Swedish warrior Jacob Axel Staël von Holstein. The reason for the duel is said to be that Tordenskjold accused Staël von Holstein of swindling money from people with an exhibition of his stuffed seven-headed snake.