Change of scenery - Summer highlights 2023

[scubaman]

Evening All. I havent' been very active on this forum for a while, but do lurk in the background occasionally. As background, we have a Fairline Phantom 43 which we've kept on the south coast of Finland for the past ten years.

At the start of season 2023 for the first time we were in a situation, where our kids seemed to have more interesting things to do than spend their weekends with mom and dad on a boat. After a couple of ‘last minute cancellations’ in May I was left wondering, if it would be best to sell the boat and see what the situation would be in a few years time. After long discussions with family and friends we decided to try and bring the boat closer to our home, so that the kids would be able to do their things and we could also spend time on the boat. If it didn’t work out, we could then sell the boat and accept losing the cost of moving. Loads of phone calls later I had transportation arranged, and a new berth agreed conveniently only 10 minutes from our house.

Even though we have lived in Central Finland for almost 30 years, we had done virtually no cruising on the local lakes, so a change to explore something new was very welcome.

Below is a video of some of our adventures from last summer.

We did greatly enjoy our time here and actually spent more nights on board than we have ever done before. In retrospect, not having to drive 3,5 hours to the boat is another bonus which I now greatly value. All in all, first summer was a success, let’s see what this year brings.

 

[jfm]

Nice movie Scubaman - amazingly beautiful location. It's great to hear your experiment was so successful.

Are you limited to D speeds across the whole lake? 10kts or something?

 

[scubaman]

Thanks, JFM! ‘Official’ speed limits only in marinas and around locks, etc. Free to pick your speed otherwise.

Of course there are social limits to consider, which is why I mostly do displacement speeds in narrow waters and only take the boat to plane when there is enough room to leave a good distance to others. This is mostly to south from our base. Good thing is, there are enough open waters for this as well.

 

[Momac]

Really enjoyed the video . Thank you for posting.

 

[sharpness]

Scubaman, another fantastic video, thank you for posting.
I know I've said it before, but your cruising grounds look amazing. Have a great 2024 season, I look forward to seeing the video of your adventures

 

[scubaman]

Thank you, gents, for the kind words .

 

[Billy Blue]

Very enjoyable video, thank you. The drone footage of the cruising grounds are great and the scenery looks fantastic. Do the waters freeze in the winter or is it possible to keep a boat in the water through the winter?

 

[scubaman]

Very enjoyable video, thank you. The drone footage of the cruising grounds are great and the scenery looks fantastic. Do the waters freeze in the winter or is it possible to keep a boat in the water through the winter?

Yep, the lakes freeze during the winter, this winter freezing started pretty soon after the lift-out. Currently there is around 40-50 cm of ice. Typically it melts by end of April/early May, which is when we’ll launch the boat again. Some of the steel boats are built to withstand freezing so stay in the water throughout the year.

 

[dustywings]

Great video, thanks for putting it together and posting. Such an amazing cruising ground, really pleased it worked out so well for you. Every time I watch one of your videos it highlights what a different and beautiful area you are in, I must try it one day!

 

[AllanG]

Superb video, Scubaman Another benefit for you cruising in this beautiful area, is that it looks like you don’t have to worry about hull fouling! Looking forward to your 2024 video!

 

[rafiki_]

Evening All. I havent' been very active on this forum for a while, but do lurk in the background occasionally. As background, we have a Fairline Phantom 43 which we've kept on the south coast of Finland for the past ten years.

At the start of season 2023 for the first time we were in a situation, where our kids seemed to have more interesting things to do than spend their weekends with mom and dad on a boat. After a couple of ‘last minute cancellations’ in May I was left wondering, if it would be best to sell the boat and see what the situation would be in a few years time. After long discussions with family and friends we decided to try and bring the boat closer to our home, so that the kids would be able to do their things and we could also spend time on the boat. If it didn’t work out, we could then sell the boat and accept losing the cost of moving. Loads of phone calls later I had transportation arranged, and a new berth agreed conveniently only 10 minutes from our house.

Even though we have lived in Central Finland for almost 30 years, we had done virtually no cruising on the local lakes, so a change to explore something new was very welcome.

Below is a video of some of our adventures from last summer.

We did greatly enjoy our time here and actually spent more nights on board than we have ever done before. In retrospect, not having to drive 3,5 hours to the boat is another bonus which I now greatly value. All in all, first summer was a success, let’s see what this year brings.

Brilliant video Scubaman. Thank you.

 

[MapisM]

The only reason why I gave one like to this post is that it's impossible to give it three!

 

[chrisgil]

Looks idyllic, lots of trees! I love the drone footage.

 

[Hooligan]

great video. How much cruising is there on the lakes in terms of mileage? Some of the anchorages look amazing. I assume the water is on the cool side? Thanks for posting. Your Cruise Reports idea was and is a great one and hopefully will see more people post. I found it really helpful and useful especially in and around Corsica and Sardinia - @jfm and @MapisM - and then @hardyme in Greece.

 

[peterjaw]

Always enjoy videos from scubaman. I wish we could have such a good environment for boating in my country.

By the way, does any body know what is the boat model in the green circle?

 

[scubaman]

great video. How much cruising is there on the lakes in terms of mileage? Some of the anchorages look amazing. I assume the water is on the cool side? Thanks for posting. Your Cruise Reports idea was and is a great one and hopefully will see more people post. I found it really helpful and useful especially in and around Corsica and Sardinia - @jfm and @MapisM - and then @hardyme in Greece.

There is quite a bit to cover. The boat route from the most southern to the most northern point is around 200 miles, and there are places where you can take alternate routes, or explore waterways to east, for instance. In the summer the water quickly warms to +20 degrees and over, so it's all right in June-august. After that it quite quickly cools down again. So, the proper summer season is short but can be quite sweet.

 

[scubaman]

Always enjoy videos from scubaman. I wish we could have such a good environment for boating in my country.

By the way, does any body know what is the boat model in the green circle?

Thanks! Its a Grandezza 37 --> 37 CA very popular brand in the Northern Europe, and well built too.

 

[peterjaw]

Thanks! Its a Grandezza 37 --> 37 CA very popular brand in the Northern Europe, and well built too.

Thank you very much, scubaman.

I just do some research according to your information. It is always good to learn something new.

 

[AndieMac]

Nothing like a good SM video of his home waters to brighten up your day. An excellent production K, and yes as the children age, so do their priorities change, but they will come back! It’s also nice to just enjoy the peace and quiet without them occasionally

Boat is still looking in beautiful condition!

 

[scubaman]

Nothing like a good SM video of his home waters to brighten up your day. An excellent production K, and yes as the children age, so do their priorities change, but they will come back! It’s also nice to just enjoy the peace and quiet without them occasionally

Boat is still looking in beautiful condition!

Thanks, AM!

Yep, you’re right about the peace and quiet. And I’m sure they will come back but may not wish to have the oldies hanging around then .