School - General rating

In 1984 I was completing my basic schooling from class 9 at St. Olofsskolan i Åbo. It was the only Swedish speaking school in my hometown and all with Swedish as mother tongue was attending this school. Even some Finnish speaking parents opted to put their kids through Swedish school so they would learn the language. Anyway, towards the last semester the study coordinator started briefing us kids of where to go and start higher studies.

Åbo Navigations Institut

Lita

Having been attending to Bore King and Borea for works we were then sent to m/v Lita, managed by Henry Nielsen LLC, a company originally founded in 1923 by Nielsen who was from Denmark and a Swedish partner Gustaf Thorden. Eventually the partners separated but Nielsen continued with the management and chartering business. He successfully continued to manage ships for different companies but in the end of 70's the market conjunctures went south for bulk and cargoes so in the beginning of the 80's the ships were sold off and flagged out in short order. It was at this time I went to school deciding for a career in an industry that was flailing.

 

m/v Lita at Long Beach Roads 1983, photo by Raimo Mäkinen

s/s Borea

As I was attending rating school at Åbo Navigationsinstitut 1984-1985 (today Aboa Mare) we were also arranged to go work on an old steamship "Borea" operated by Aura Line in order to get a feel for ships and conditions working onboard + of course to help the crew there with maintenance.

s/s Borea (courtesy Ålands sjofart magazine)

Bore King

When I was doing my General rating school back in 1984-1985 we were sent as apprentices for one trip on various Finnish cargo ships, usually a roundtrip lasted for a week or so. I was with another 3 guys sent to Bore King and as I remember we embarked in Helsinki and sailed for Kotka - Gothenburg - Helsingborg and back to Helsinki. 

Bore King (by unknown)