Finland - Facts

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  • Finland has, depending on the method used, somewhere between 55,000 and 188,000 lakes, and nearly 3000 miles (4830 km) of coastline, of which lie more than 80,000 islands including the Åland archipelago. Cruising opportunities are infinite, either through the many islands or on the lakes, the larger of which are navigable.
  • With a reputed 6500 islands, the off lying Åland archipelago is a world in itself and is an autonomous region.
  • The Aboland archipelago is the largest archipelago in the Baltic and with its multitude of islands and rocky islets extends towards the sea for 100 km south-west of Turku. There are numerous guest harbours and yachting facilities to match.
  • Unfortunately, the sailing season is very short, usually from the beginning of May till the end of September, although the summer days do benefit from almost perpetual daylight.
  • With a highly developed and top quality boat building industry, many foreign visitors only sample the cruising delights of Finland when they arrive to take delivery of their new boats and then sail them to warmer waters.
  • Most coastal towns have visitors’ harbours and yacht clubs usually have a few berths reserved for visitors. The Archipelago Sea and the Åland Islands have a very extensive harbour network with harbours or other facilities to be found every 10-20 nautical miles. Guest harbours are more infrequent in the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. A useful source of guest harbours is www.guestharbours.fi
  • The standard of services varies and repair facilities are available only in the largest ports. With a developed boat-building industry, producing some of the best yachts in the world, repair facilities are of a high standard. The most comprehensive range of repair facilities is to be found in and around the capital Helsinki.
  • Other yachting centres are at Turku, Hanko, Rauma, Loviisa and Pietarsaari, the latter being the home of the famous Swan yachts. Good facilities are also available in Åland with several marinas, the largest in the capital Mariehamn.
  • There is a concerted effort in order to update and standardize the ports along the Gulf of Finland, both in Finland and Estonia. This project is known as the 30Mile Project. Expected improvements include updates to docks, electricity, water, basic facilities, and other sustainable port activities.

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Finland was last updated 1 year ago.

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  1. February 23, 2017 at 11:47 AM
    Data Entry3 says:

    30MILES project – small ports on the eastern Gulf of Finland are developing fast.

    The 30MILES international cooperation project was established to develop small ports on the eastern Gulf of Finland, and six Finnish and six Estonian small ports are participating in it. The objective of the project is to harmonise the level of services, security and convenience of use of the ports. The outcome of the 30MILES project will be a ring of quality small ports every 30 miles apart around the Gulf of Finland.
    The deadline for completion of the project is May 2018.

    Further information: http://www.merikotka.fi/30miles

  2. July 27, 2015 at 2:36 PM
    Sue Richards says:

    Posted on behalf of Sven Hegelund, s/y Njord III
    As you know, camping Gaz (butane) is not so easy to get in the Baltic. I am in Turku/Åbo in Finland and the harbourmaster of the yacht harbour on the North side of river Aura managed to get some containers delivered to Turku from Helsinki and is planning to arrange for a small storage to be kept at the harbour or nearby for the benefit of guests at the yacht harbour.

  3. June 14, 2015 at 3:06 PM
    Data Entry3 says:

    Clearance: when clearing out of Finland to a non-EU country, eg Russia, you must provide at least 4 copies of your crew list to be stamped. If then going from Russia eg to Estonia, get at least 5 copies stamped (4 for Russian border control, 1 for Estonian border control). Finland border control is relaxed about the regulation that after clearing out you must stay within a marked channel, but they emphasise that once in Russian waters you absolutely must stay within or just outside a marked channel.
    Alan Wilson, Kiitaja (in 2011)