Schooner Anny abandon Ekenäs for Mariehamn

AvH in Ekenäs

Picture by Christoffer Westerlund/ Yle

Freely translated article written by Bubi Asplund for the Finnish broadcasting Company (YLE) and published on 23rd June 2026. 

N.B. One should also take into account that the current financial climate in Finland is not very conducive for tourism due to high fuel costs and the largely flailing tourism industry on the mainland.

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The sailing ship Anny von Hamburg leaves Ekenäs for Mariehamn: "The customer base is insufficient"

For a couple of years, the sailing ship Anny von Hamburg has had Ekenäs as its home port. The schooner, which was in the North Harbour, has left Ekenäs and is now berthed in Mariehamn.

According to a post on Facebook, the future prospects for Ekenäs were the decisive factor that led the ship's owner to look for new solutions.

– The customer base is not large enough in Ekenäs, says skipper Juha Pokka on Anny von Hamburg.

He notes that the prospects for this summer did not look lucrative enough and therefore the boat headed to Åland and Mariehamn.

– In Ekenäs the cruise business for large sailing ships that we are involved in, are not optimal, so that is why we chose Mariehamn. There is good potential here.

In the Facebook post, the boat's owner says that the ship had as many visitors on a Sunday in Mariehamn as during its two years in Ekenäs, thanks to all the cruise passengers who travel to and from Mariehamn.

Was Hanko an alternative as a new home port for Anny von Hamburg?

– No, because cruise ships that pick up potential customers for us also don't visit there.

Will the stately sailing ship ever call at the port of Ekenäs again?

– Yes, if someone charters us, we can sail anywhere. If someone likes, we can also visit Ekenäs. Of course, that is assuming there is a client or a charter commitment, says Juha Pokka.