Vacation in Finland

Having gone on vacation it was scorching in Mediterranean and so I booked flights to Finland to go visit my family and various places as seen from the pictures below:

The moomins were as usual welcoming me at Helsinki airport

Daycruising Anny von Hamburg

"Anny von Hamburg" alongside GH Fyren

Having visited Anny von Hamburg in Ekenäs (Tammisaari) I was invited by Captain Juha Pokka to join (and assist) her for a daycruise in a couple of days time. It is always pleasant to go out to sea, especially in the Finnish archipelago so I was keen as mustard. *)

Spar for Anny von Hamburg

Having arrived Kustavi to stay with my sister she expressed her wish to have an old larch tree felled as it was growing too close to another spruce and was anyway making a mess every autumn when it dropped its needles on the ground. It was also taking up precious sunny area on the lot next to the garden so one morning I decided to put the felling in action. Originally it had been planted by our father but he doesn't visit Kustavi anymore these days so thought it was no problem.

Felling tree

Archipelago boating

My longtime friend Heidi called on 6th September and asked if I was interested to join her on the 7th for a day of boating going to the old naval fortress of Katanpää from Uusikaupunki where her boat was moored. I agreed and we set out from our house in Kustavi early in the morning by car. Arrived about an hour later and set to prepare Heidi's boat for the trip, it was already fueled so it wasn't much more than a bit of snacks and drinks.

Getting local pilot knowledge whilst Cheche is photobombing us

Refitting Anny von Hamburg

In 2023 my friends and colleagues, Captains Jan Rautawaara & Juha Pokka managed to procure another old lady as a project for the future. It was s/y "Anny von Hamburg", a 29m historic three-masted schooner built in Germany. 

Anny von Hamburg postcard (1980's)

History of Anny von Hamburg

Anny von Hamburg is a historic three-masted schooner, originally built in 1914 by Conrad Lühring at Hammelwarden yard in Germany. Initially named "Anny," the vessel was designed as a cargo ship. Throughout her extensive history, she has undergone several name changes and transformations, reflecting her diverse roles from cargo schooner to cadet training ship to passenger sailing vessel.

Anny von Hamburg complimentary postcard (1980's)

History of Kalizma

I was doing a post of my experience on Kalizma and included a history section in it but discovered that there is quite a bit of it on the net so I separated it here and added to it, enjoy:

Kalizma, built in 1906, is considered the world's oldest yacht with a rich history. It has survived world wars, plagues, changing ownerships, and various life events, making it a symbol of resilience and endurance. The original name though, Minona, is after the African Goddess of sorcery and  fortunetelling. Still I wonder how much of the original steel remains in her keel though...

Robert Stewart

Realdo

Had the chance to walk around in another quaint small village pretty high up in the Ligurian mountains. The village was pretty well maintained albeit the restaurant was closed for the day. Water was running everywhere and the way of old was still left to be seen with a rubbish chute down the mountain where it ended maybe 50m or more down below on the slope. Only met 2 residents and I assume another 2 tourists so it was very quiet. The two residents were avid mountain bikers and said the worldchampion had been about recently.

Triora

Whilst venturing up the valley we stopped in the witch museum. The village rides hard on the witch heritage (that apparently is based on 3 girls from neigbouring Glori), and they celebrate all the pagan highlights like samhain etc. The shops sport all kind of sorcery trinkets and would well fit into a Harry Potter backdrop.

Pieve di Teco

This day I went for a Sunday outing to Pieve di Teco in the hopes of seeing the antique market.  We drove there at first via the coast through Imperia and up the valley. 

Local bridge

Glori

Went for a walk in the village of Glori, this time the weather was a bit uncertain so didn't walk over the mountain. 

Local orchid

Cartagena

Had the chance to visit Cartagena and see the sights there. In the center are great monuments of Roman heritage as well as on the waterfront there is the naval shipyard of Navantia and a Naval museum with displays of the Spanish highlights as well as their first submarine. Very recommendable city to visit. Just outside the city is an informal settlement on naval land where people have erected "summer houses". The Navy tolerates them as long as they're not built further or any more land is occupied.

Cartagena center onwards

Vacation in Philippines p2

 As we had returned from Malaysia the traffic and people got really heave so were kind of confined to Calatagan and only scootered around to beaches etc.

Calatagan market lighting

Trip to Malaysia

As I was in Philippines for a short time I decided to go visit my Malaysian friends in Lumut area. The trip started a bit roughly with us spending a day in Singapore and in evening taking the overnight bus to Sitiawan. It was not bad but the AC in the bus was freezing and I hadn't packed any long-sleeved clothes so ended up huddling all night whilst dog-napping. Whilst in Lumut we got taken around all the nice restaurants serving different Chinese cuisine as well other ethnic groups. Always nice to visit Malaysia for food. Below are some pictures from the few days spent there.

911 MB, not Porsche ;)

Vacation in Philippines p1

Helsinki-Vantaa airport, getting out just in time

Vacation in Finland

Last look down the valley before heading to Nice and my flight to Finland

M/t Tobias - the greatest tanker in the world

Many times in the beginning of my career the old hands talked about the American (“Yankee-tank”) supertanker “Tobias”, the world’s largest tanker. It was carrying elephant-snot from India…

M/t Tobias

Seafaring culture

An old colleague of mine, Lauri Vuorinen, published his musings in Finnish that I have freely translated into English. On the subject, the pictures are all courtesy from another colleague Hannu Vartiainen from 70's-80's.

Delivery Djibouti to Cyprus

Having been awhile at home I was contacted by my ex Ch Mate to do a short delivery of m/y Kalizma from Djibouti to Turkey and as I thought I have time I agreed on it readily and as I had been on her several years ago, last time back in 2012, I knew the yacht and her flaws. She had since 2012 been refitted and undergone survey to become a commercial yacht under Cook Island and successfully chartered in Indian Ocean the past years.

Planned voyage Djibouti to Turkey, possibly Bodrum

Fanny revisited

21.03.2022 - 07.07.2022

Captain

s/y Fanny

Fanny in Marina degli Aregai

Lilibet

20.11.2022 - 16.05.2023
Captain
fpv Lilibet

Singapore roads, taking bunkers, photo by Capt Thye Hock

Sail training ship Fennia

Having visited Falklands I came over the information by accident in a pub that a Finnish sailing vessel, FENNIA, had in early 1900's limped into Port Stanley jury rigged after having been partly demasted in a severe storm. 

Poster of shipwrecks around Falklands

Falklands Islands

Never having visited Falklands before it was an exciting prospect having only wondered about it as a kid watching the World chart on top of my bed that was gifted by my uncle. It used to be my pastime to look at funny foreign names on foreign continents before falling asleep. Well, now looking at Falklands map closer it was all English names interspersed with an occasional Spanish name.

Article from local newspaper about us

South Atlantic sojourn

As we had left Tristan da Cunha we set course for South Georgia with an aim to go do some PR for the locals there as well as to see the grave of Ernest Shackleton. 

Some humour along the trip was required, orginal Asterix album cover modified