VENDIA in British Water Craft magazine

VENDIA has drawn attention also on the international markets. Recently a British Water Craft magazine published an article about VENDIA marine plank. Chairman of the Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Association, Nick Newland contacted us to make this article about the new interesting product for wooden boatbuilding. In this article Nick compares the differences between VENDIA marine plank and traditional rotary cut plywood and also tells his own opinions about this new marine plank.

Launching the first boat

The first boat made of VENDIA marine plank was built at the Ingman College of Crafts and Design in January 2014. The Venla-boat was launched for the first time on August 6th, 2014 in Kuopio, Finland. Paul Hämäläinen, the owner of the new boat was one of the participants. He is also boatbuilder and has finished the surface of the boat. Ilmo Koivisto, builder of this first boat and other interested craftsmen were also present.

Let us introduce the VENDIA manufacturing path

 1. RAW MATERIAL

Raw material used in VENDIA marine plank is butt logs from old grown Finnish pine. A good quality raw material is the most important part of VENDIA. Whereas ideal soil, clean air, clear water and slow growth are the key factors of high quality raw material.

A good quality raw material and sliced veneers make VENDIA beautiful and durable.

Experiences of the boatbuilder

Boatyard Ruotsalainen from Nurmes has built wooden boats of VENDIA marine plank among the first boatbuilders in Finland. Ruotsalainen has built wooden boats over 30 years, so he was very interested in this new type of marine plank and he also saw it as a welcome novelty in addition to traditional plywood. Now Ruotsalainen has built two boats of VENDIA marine plank and his experiences have been great. Also his customers have liked the end result and especially they have been taken to the appearance of the marine plank.

Boatbuilders with VENDIA

Wooden boats were made of VENDIA marine plank in boatbuilding course of Soisalo Institute in Sorsakoski, Finland. Course participants Viljo Huovinen, Paul Hämäläinen, Timo Kervola, Reino Uusaro, Veikko Hiltunen and Keijo Issakainen built their own wooden boats with a course teacher Ilmo Koivisto. To most of them, building a boat was the first time. Now part of the course participants are planning to build another boat the next winter.

Sulkava Rowing Race

VENDIA was present at Sulkava Rowing Race from Friday to Saturday on 11.-12.7.2014. On VENDIA’s stand people got a chance to explore a new type of marine plank and also to admire a wooden boat made of quarter cut VENDIA marine plank. There were lots of people visiting on the stand because of the opportunity to participate to the draw, where the prize was this wooden boat.

Sulkava Rowing Race 11.-12.7.2014 - Win a wooden boat!

VENDIA is present at Sulkava Rowing Race from Friday to Saturday on 11.-12.7.2014. On VENDIA presentation stand you can explore a new type of VENDIA marine plank as raw material for wooden boat building. On presentation stand there is also introduced a wooden boat made of quarter cut VENDIA marine plank.