About our skippers

Birgitta Silfverhielm

Founder of Vind o Vatten

Skipper of Esmeralda II and sailing coach

“My name is Birgitta Silfverhielm. I am the founder of Vind o Vatten and the skipper of Esmeralda II.

I grew up sailing in the early 60’s and have had the east coast archipelago as my playground every summer. When I left home at 18, I immediately bought myself a boat, and started dreaming about sailing beyond the horizon. At the age of 25, I sailed from Stockholm as a crew member on a sailboat bound for the Caribbean. After eight months, I was home in Stockholm again, and just wanted to keep sailing… I got a job as a sailing instructor, and for many years I taught adults to sail. After 18 seasons and four boats, I realised it was time for me to start up something of my own. Dreams of creating a company for sailing activities based on my own experience took shape, and I started to run private sailing courses. I was the skipper on charter, single and multi- day tours and even holiday adventures for families and groups. I developed a personal approach with respect to the customer’s individual needs and saw how that was key to creating lasting relationships with my guests.

In 2008, I bought the Linjett 35. This is an extremely fine quality boat that meets the highest standards of comfort and sailing performance.”

Birgitta’s education and experience in brief:

• Navigation certificate and Ship’s Officer class VIII
• Machine Officer class VIII
• STCW 95 Basic Safety
• Long distance skipper’s degree
• Ocean Skipper’s degree
• VHF radio certificate

Birgitta brings solid experience cruising in the Swedish Archipelago, as well as racing and ocean sailing. Her motivation to continue sailing is life-long. She has sailed on many waters, upon numerous vessels, from dinghies to big ships and from competing in racecourses to crossing oceans. She has even been a part of the Search and Rescue crew on Dalarö, as a navigator and deck crew.

Karin Modigh

Skipper of Isola

Karin Modigh is the skipper of Isola. She is a tall ship sailor, a windsurfer and almost anything in between. She has crossed the Mediterranean and the South China Sea, but her favourite waters remain the Stockholm archipelago.

Karin is calm, driven by curiosity and has practised leadership in many different contexts. As a skipper on her own Beason 36 Isola, Karin teaches sailing and brings guests to discover the Stockholm archipelago. She is also our French-speaking skipper! 

“I’m passionate about sailing, the archipelago, nature and adventure, and I love to share that passion with other people. Sailing has brought me self-confidence, humility, and a meditative calm, while giving space for my curiosity and zest for adventure. I want to open that door to other people and, while adapting to individual needs and expectations, allow room for growth and for each person to discover themselves in relation to sailing, to handling a boat and to connecting with nature.”

Karin’s education and experience in brief:

• Navigation certificate and Ship’s Officer class VIII
• Machine Officer class VIII
• STCW 95 Basic Safety
• VHF radio certificate
• Professional experience as leader and coach from the performing arts
• Fluent in French and English

Kim Silfving

Sailing coach

Kim Silfving has been sailing for as long as he can remember. Growing up sailing a wooden sailboat in the Stockholm archipelago, he has recently got back from an Atlantic crossing with his family. Kim is also our Spanish-speaking sailing coach!

“I grew up sailing on a wooden sailboat in the archipelago of Stockholm and later started racing different boats and regattas. Lately, I have focused on cruising and just recently got back from a 20 000 NM sailing trip with my family on our Baltic 51. We sailed up and down along the European coast, down to Africa, across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and back to the Mediterranean.

Over the years, I have worked as a skipper and coach at sailing events. I have also taught courses for both beginners and more advanced sailors with focus on trimming and spinnaker sailing. The more I sail, the more I understand that there are so many more things to learn. I’m just in the beginning myself and sailing is such a huge universe. There will always be more to learn and that’s what is driving me most in this sport.”

Kim’s education and experience in brief:

• Navigation certificate and Ship’s Officer class VIII
• STCW 95 Basic Safety
• VHF radio certificate
• Fluent in Spanish and English

Jonas Dolk

Sailing and manoeuvring coach on sailing boats and motorboats

Jonas Dolk is an experienced coach and leader and a passionate regatta sailor who lives in the Stockholm archipelago all year round.

Jonas’ experience with sail racing started over 30 years ago and is extensive as it is vast.  He has experience racing most kinds of boats and in the past 10 years he has focused on Double handed class races.

Jonas loves sharing his knowledge about sail trim and he is exceptional when it comes to the technical aspects of boats. Time permitting, he happily takes on coaching sailors who want to learn more about advanced sail trim, manoeuvring and more.

Jonas’s education and experience in brief:

• Navigation certificate and Ship’s Officer class VIII
• 30 years of sail racing on all kinds of keelboats and multihulls, from small catamarans to 60 foot sailing boats
• Several podium places and SM Golds
• Boat builder, composite expert, designer and engineer