 Sailing in Finland
The Finnish coastline, roughly measured, stretches for over a thousand kilometres; but accounting for all the intricacies of its peninsulas and inlets would increase this figure many times over. Indeed if islands are included as well, the total length of Finland’s seashores amounts to a staggering 40,000 kilometres. This charming and beautiful coastline is what makes the Finnish coast such a wonderful area to explore by boat. The Turku archipelago contains 10s of thousands of islands and provides a wonderful natural environment in which to sail.
Inland, Finland has more than 56,000 lakes larger than a hectare. The larger of these are navigable, with the largest being Lake Saimaa in south-eastern Finland. The Saimaa region consists of a complex network of interconnected stretches of water.
With still more lakeshore to be added on – around 130,000 kilometres – this means that Finland has almost 33 metres of shoreline of one kind or another for every inhabitant, one of the highest figures in the world. Therefore, finding a tranquil place to moor is relatively easy.
Guest Harbours in the Turku Arhicpelago
The Finnish coast is dotted with a well-developed network of more than 100 ‘guest harbours’, wharves and other yachting facilities. The size of guest harbours varies, but most of them are constructed in quite a rudimentary fashion and are quite small. In comparison to Mediterranean harbours where people enjoy nightlife and bustling crowds, Finnish harbours are all about natural beauty, cleanliness and peace. Overnight mooring fees are typically between €8 and €25. The price usually includes fresh water and electricity and often sauna facilities too. There are normally well-maintained waste treatment facilities and facilities for emptying septic tanks. There are also village harbours, which are in a class of their own and often have separate visitors' wharves. You may also overnight in all natural harbours according to the Finnish public rights of access, paying attention of course to homes and summer cottages. Lighting a fire in an open place is forbidden without permission, as is anchoring or coming ashore at areas of nature conservation. During bird nesting season from April to June, visiting or approaching rocky islets is on the whole to be avoided.
For more information on guest harbours please visit the Archipelago region website:
http://www.saaristo.org/eng/index.htm
Boat charter
There are large and small companies offering different types of boat charter across Finland. Holiday cabin owners are also often able to provide a simple outboard or motorboat for a fee. Below is a list of some of the companies chartering sail and motor boats:
Turku Archipelago Region
Finlandia Sailing - sailing boats and motorboats
Midnight Sun Charters - sailing boats and motorboats
Tampere Region
Other Services
The standard and variety of services varies depending on the size of the harbour and repair facilities are only available in the larger ports. With a highly developed boat-building industry, producing some of the best yachts and cruise ships in the world, repair facilities are of a high standard. The most comprehensive range of repair facilities are to be found in and around the capital Helsinki.
|
