Rowing | Jari Saario’s incredible rowing career is now over – “I’m not going to fool around”

“This rowing ends here in Cuxhaven”, Jari Saarioa firefighter and ocean rower from Helsinki, starts his call from the German port city on the North Sea.

The notification must be stopped. So this is the end of Saario’s rowing project, where there have been enough different stages.

Saario first rowed across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Antigua at the beginning of the year. In June, the current project began from Canada across the North Atlantic to Scotland and there through the Caledonian Channel to the North Sea. The boat was moved by road near London for repairs. From there, the journey continued across the North Sea to Germany.

“We’ve already won here, so I’m not even terribly upset [soudun päättymistä]. It would have been great to row all the way to Helsinki, but with an 80 percent probability I wouldn’t have made it by Christmas. That makes more sense.”

Saario estimates that he might not have arrived in Finland until January. He didn’t want this in any case, because there have already been several departures that were too late for the conditions: He left the Canary Islands too late, as well as departures from Canada and especially the North Sea too late.

“And now I would be really late.”

In addition Saario reminds us that with the rowing he has already achieved, he has shown the rowing world what the Finnish essence is.

“Everything has already been won here, it would have been just something to lose.”

When the boat got wet while still in the North Sea after capsizing, it would probably have resulted in the electrical equipment breaking down again.

“When salt water gets into electrical appliances, it’s a bit like an orange starts to mold, they don’t go bad right away.”

Saario emphasizes that it would have been stupid to finish badly.

“This has inspired so many people.”

Reasons there are others to the end of the rowing career. The first was that the boat’s transport from the German port to Copenhagen did not take place, even though Saario had agreed on this in advance.

“Like that [kuljetusta] never came. Surprisingly, it didn’t fit [tanskalaisten] schedules and reportedly there was no suitable instrument either. I didn’t worry about it, but for five minutes I wondered why people promise things if they can’t keep them.”

After this, the local pilot, rescue authorities and port staff in Germany started calling around to see how a ride to Copenhagen could be arranged.

“It was really difficult and no boat trailer could be found.”

If for some reason had the transport been arranged, according to Saario it would have been uncertain whether the boat would have been brought back to the water, as the Copenhagen rescue service stated that they have no experience in moving boats.

“This just dragged on and on and a year goes by.”

Saario also started researching long-term weather forecasting and was in contact with a German marine weather expert.

“The expert said that it is now cold in the north and the wind blows all the time from there. I would have had to jump one port at a time so as not to wreck the boat in the archipelago. If I had gone in the middle of the Baltic Sea, I would have ended up in Poland or southern Sweden.”

Saario has previously rowed from Copenhagen to Helsinki during the summer and it lasted eight weeks.

“It is more honorable for rowing to end here. If someone finds this to be a giveaway, I can’t help it. I was able to row the North Sea, and I have already rowed between Copenhagen and Helsinki once.”

One reason ending a rowing career is purely financial.

“I have a terrible bank loan. I can no longer take financial risks if, for example, the boat still needs to be repaired. Also my previous boat [jolla Saarion souti Kööpenhaminasta Helsinkiin] I donated to the Maritime Museum, but I’m still paying its loans.”

Next Saario will fly to Finland, probably on Thursday. This is a quick trip, because Saario will get a trailer behind his car and will leave already on Saturday with his family on the German ship to get a boat to Finland. The return is next Saturday.

Saario is not going to give up the boat, at least for the time being. It will be displayed at, among other things, many trade fairs.

“Let’s see what happens in the future. I myself wish that the boat would end up in the Maritime Museum. No one will attempt such a performance for a few decades.”

What are the moods right now? [tiistaina aamupäivällä]?

“Right now, I’m relieved and satisfied that I’m not fooling around. You can be crazy but not stupid. There is no need to come to Finland feeling ashamed.”