Suomen Joutsen

Suomen Joutsen

(credit: Aleksey Bogomolov)

On 7th October something extraordinary happened in my childhood home town, as I'm not there and at work I have to rely on pictures from the inter webs. 

The windjammer, one of the oldest in Finland is about to get some TLC at Naantali ship repair yard. The last time I was in Turku and passed Suomen Joutsen (lit. translation 'Finnish Swan' or 'Swan of Finland') she looked really tired, if not outright dangerous in her rig, but since then the management at Forum Marinum has instituted a lengthy repair scheme for her, this drydocking is part of it.

I recall Suomen Joutsen early on from my childhood, we saw her every morning when our mom drove my sister to the kindergarten and dropped me off at the school as she used berth further up the river at the Martin bridge. 

I recall also the debate of her other refit periods when her decks were about to cave in and instead of replacing it with costly iroko they used Siberian pine as a more cost effective solution, I think the reasoning was that she is no longer going to the tropics so it would not be a problem for resin leaking out and easier for the museum to maintain her. Despite a lot of debate and doubt whether the solution was any good it seems it has worked out well. The old iroko planks were preserved and reused in the Forum Marinum building as a floor.

I also recall the news in 1989 of when they had a Cape Horners Albatross meeting onboard. One of the old timers got so worked up about old memories he climbed the rig to the organisers consternation.

The next time I recall her was in the 80's when I was at Abo Navigations institut doing my Mate's ticket and Suomen Joutsen was still then serving as a school for the Finnish speaking contingency, one of my classmates had managed to get the position as a 'housekeeper' onboard and he lived on her for the 2 years we were in studying. He sometimes showed us around after hours for other classmates when we visited him.

After that the Suomen Joutsen was moved next to Forum Marinum, some 1.3km downriver. I left Finland for work abroad and hardly visited my hometown so seeing this tall ship became scarcer for me but I still associate her strongly with my childhood and hometown. I'm glad to see there is still will and energy to preserve her for the future generations.

Route of SJ to the shipyard was also published

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I came across a FB posting by Samuli Arte that writes eloquently of the days event:

SJ under tow

(credit: Samuli Arte)

Samuli Arte, FB

Suomen Joutsen – right where she belongs.

There are photos you can go out and take again tomorrow. And then there are photos where you might have to wait ten years for the next opportunity.

SJ under tow

(credit: Samuli Arte)

Today, I had the honor of capturing one of those.

Launched in France in 1902, the Suomen Joutsen has seen more of the world than many of us ever will. Back then, it was still named Laënnec. She shipped coal, saltpeter, and grain across the oceans, sailing from Europe as far as Australia, as well as North and South America.

Later, she became a training ship for the Finnish Navy. Under the Finnish flag, she carried out eight long training voyages across the world's oceans and at same time did PR for the country where she visited.

Today, her world is much smaller.

For the most part, the Suomen Joutsen rests at her familiar berth on the bank of Aura River, part of the Turku cityscape and Finnish maritime history.

But today — 7th October 2026 — something rare happened.

The Suomen Joutsen cast off from the Aura River bank and was towed toward the Naantali ship repair yard. The last time this happened was ten years ago. And for a brief moment, the Suomen Joutsen was at sea again.

SJ under tow

(credit: Samuli Arte)

SJ under tow

(credit: Samuli Arte)

I was there on the Airisto open with my camera to witness it.

There she moved across the water — not as a museum piece at the quay, but as a ship at sea. The very same sea for which it was built over 120 years ago.

That is why this photo means so much to me. It is not just a picture of an old sailing ship. It is a picture of a moment that cannot be recreated next week, next summer, or perhaps not even years from now.

The Suomen Joutsen at sea, on the Airisto open, in 2026. Right where the ship belongs. That is precisely why I still believe in authentic photography.

A good picture can be beautiful.

But what makes a picture impactful is the story behind it.

"And sometimes, to get that one shot, you have to be in the right place on exactly the right day."

SJ under tow, N.B. Anny von Hamburg photobombing in the back

(credit: Samuli Arte)

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On YLE Ms Johanna Lehtola reports following on 7th Oct 2026, click the link for the video material.

A rare sight! 

The 124-year-old Suomen Joutsen has set off from the Aura River – watch the video.

The iconic museum ship, usually moored in Turku’s Aura River, is heading to the shipyard for repairs.

The famous Suomen Joutsen is heading to the shipyard.

This is a rare event; the vessel last went to the shipyard ten years ago.

The ship departed from Turku’s Aura River before 9 a.m.

Suomen Joutsen will spend just over a week at the Naantali repair shipyard, where her surfaces will be sandblasted and painted.

The current major renovation began in 2024, and the restoration of the museum ship will continue until 2028. A renovation of this scale is carried out approximately every 30 years.

The renovation costs two million euros.

The vessel was built in France in 1902 as a cargo ship. It was purchased by Finland in 1930 to serve as a naval training ship. At that time, it carried a crew of 180.

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For those wishing to know more about the history of Suomen Joutsen can click the link to Wikipedia where there is a long dissertation of her various stages and uses. 

As a special historical tidbit is that she was originally launched as Laënnec which was a French Doctor that invented the stethoscope, so she was named to honour the good Doctor. 

Deck of SJ

(credit: M. Kallio)

For further reading check out Jukka Mikkola's page that lists sources in Finnish, Swedish, English and German, more material than one could shake a stick at, there has been written reams about the old girl. 

Stern

(credit: City of Turku)

Arrived the yard

(credit: City of Turku)