For one it is a home whose equipment level can be more comprehensive than a poor studio apartment. For others, it is a place where you can retreat from everyday life to more ascetic conditions to test yourself. Whatever it is, a boat is an important part of its owner’s life.
In the last couple of years, the boat trade has grown at a record pace, and compared to the rest of the world, Finns are a boat-crazy nation. Behind many of the boats in Helsinki’s harbors there is a history spanning several dozen years.
There are 12,000 boat berths in Helsinki, which have been filled again in the summer season with travelers arriving from near and far
Cameraman Mikko Suutarinen went to numerous Helsinki marinas to take a peek at what the living rooms of the seas look like. Among other things, a luxury cruiser, a racing sailboat that arrived from Hamburg and an almost hundred-year-old tug were found at the docks.
Markku Siivinen owns two boats. In addition to the Strorebro Royal cruiser 34fb shown in the picture, he also has an H-boat, which is a popular sailboat model. H-boats have their own sailing competitions both in Finland and around the world.
Mervi and Christian Wennerstrand have lived permanently on ships for almost 20 years. In the couple’s current vessel Bohemia, the 50-square-meter living space can even fit a sauna.
M/S Kauris, owned by Ilkka Järvisalo, is an aluminum-framed water bus made in 1950, which is well preserved for its age. The water bus that once sailed in the Turku archipelago is registered in the heritage vessel register.
Tommi Immonen used to compete in his H-boat called Nanna, but nowadays he focuses on camping, especially in the Turku archipelago. He mentions Nauvo’s Gulkrona island and the Utö and Jurmo islands located in the outer archipelago as his favorite places.
Marja Kulmavuori-Palmgren and Stefan Palmgren’s Moshulu is originally a sailboat built in 1948 by Edgar Erikson, an Åland shipbuilder. The wooden structures of the ship are of Western Douglas fir imported from North America and many parts are still original.
Tanja Kolehmainen, Meri Sandberg, Lumi Lahokoski, Kalle Kolehmainen and Daisy-koira enjoy a summer evening at Katajanokka marina. Kanavanranta’s guest marina has more than a hundred berths.
83-year-old Jaakko Kallionpää took to the waters of the Nauticat 33-model Irene in the summer of 1985. He has covered the coasts of Finland on his ship, but boating has become less popular as he has gotten older. “The best glamor is already gone. Before, it was just fun, but now it has a bit of a taste for work,” Kallionpää reflects.
La Lux’s Captain Stefano La Mela, Chef Samuel Suriano and Cruise Manager Virna Ribeiro de Oliveira hang out indoors while guests enjoy themselves on deck. On a luxury yacht for rent, you can go for a spin with, for example, a champagne tasting, the price of which is 1,500 euros without drinks.
Ossi Kauppinen’s Bellecoté boat even has carpets with names on the floor. The ship’s dog Vilkku helps in reading the sea chart.
Seppo Ståhlberg has spent his entire summer on the Grand Banks 42 model Island. “It’s really nicer to be here than at home.” According to his memories, Ståhlber has been boating almost his whole life, even though the hobby didn’t really run in the family. “Dad built a sailboat with his own hands, but in the end he was so old that he didn’t really have time to enjoy it.”
Cosima Cramer, Fritz Meyer, Johannes Facler, Deborah Golz and Merle Ritzer relax on the deck of the Störtebeker sailboat. The crew from Hamburg participated in the Baltic sea race in Helsinki, where they finished third.
The former Navy minesweeper Vartiovene 55, known from Hietalahtenranta, is owned by Tomi Miininen, but it is only chartered. Instead, the boat Emu in the picture is not rented, but Miininen enjoys privacy on the boat with his fiance Krista Kemppainen. “Kundiporukat think they are like kings at sea, and captain Alkoholi is often along for the trip. I don’t want that.”
Jukka Pääkkönen eats a salad at S/Y Wicky. Arne Wiklund, who designed the boat model, had never designed a vessel before drawing the Weekend boat. Wicky is reportedly one of only sixteen Weekend-model boats.
Sonja Kaulén, Emilia Saarinen, Jenni Verho and Hanna Mäkynen celebrated Saarinen’s birthday and summer at the Oil Emperor. The special name of the ship was invented by the circle of friends of Saarinen and her husband. “We both sell fuel oil for our work. Ships are usually named after women, so the Oil Emperor attracts attention. People stop to take pictures.
Joonas Pulkkanen rests in the cabin of the wooden Lauri Koster 28 sailboat Hazard. Pulkkanen is a cameraman by profession, and the traces of his hands can be seen in, for example, the Losers youth series and the Neiti Aika documentary. Vegetables can be conveniently stored in their own hammock on the boat.
Pertti Mäkinen’s M/S Kurt is an old tugboat built in 1918. The ship was originally built for a sawmill that operated in Tornio, but was later used for post-war mine clearance in the Gulf of Finland. After the Second World War, there were an estimated 60,000 mines in the body of water.
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