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Paper short abstract:

The Bothnian Bay in the northern Baltic Sea is a sea area that is strongly affected by ice. The paper deals with seafaring and maritime infrastructure there in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, drawing attention to the risks in the northern conditions and how the risks were managed.

Paper long abstract:

The Baltic Sea is the only sea in the world, which may freeze through occasionally. Its gulfs freeze usually every winter. The Bothnian Bay, the most northernmost sub-basin of the Baltic, has a complete ice-cover even in the mildest winters. The significance of ice for the coastal towns has not been studied much. The topic is essential especially for the emerging field of ice humanities. In the coastal towns of the Bothnian Bay, the ice blockade set the rhythm for the life. Before the modern ice-breaking, the sailing season was short, extending from June to October or November. The rest of the year the Bay was surrounded by ice. It was a considerable hindrance for their economies and the mobility of people and goods. The seafarers tried to lengthen the season, though the risks were growing in the early summer and late autumn due to the floating drift-ice and coastal ice formation. The infrastructure of seafaring was developed vigorously with the intention to promote shipping and increase its safety in the northern conditions. This included marking routes, founding pilot stations and building sea marks. The paper deals with risky business of seafaring in the towns of the Finnish coast of the Bothnian Bay, and how the risks were managed by building maritime infrastructure during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The attention is drawn especially to the navigation close to the icy seasons. The topic is well covered in the archival materials left by the national and local pilot services.