Greetings from Kallavesj’ 2015 exhibition

VENDIA was on view in Kuopio, Finland at Kallavesj’ 2015 boat show on 10.-12.4.2015. There were exhibitors from the fields of boating, tourism and leisure time and during the weekend there were approximately 25 000 visitors. At the boat show we were together with Boatyard Aki Ruotsalainen, so the crowd also had the ability to see two boats made of VENDIA marine plank.

Helsinki International Boat Show 2015

VENDIA had busy 10 days in Helsinki when over 73 000 people visited Vene Båt 2015 fair on 6.-15.2.2015. There was a constant bustle at wooden boat section. It was nice to note that wooden boats still interest people and wood as a natural material is even on the up and up from previous years. Many of the visitors sighed how wonderful the wood smells.

Helsinki International Boat Show continues

There has been lots of visitors at Helsinki International Boat Show and the fair continues until Sunday 15th February. VENDIA has attracted wide publicity and admiration at the boat fair. Hopefully many wooden boats made of VENDIA marine plank will be seen on the waters on the next summer.

Welcome to visit at the VENDIA’s presentation stand!

The first touch of boatbuilding with VENDIA

VENDIA marine plank has been popular material among boatbuilding courses in Finland. One of the courses was held in Suonenjoki, in Northern Savonia. During last October and November the course had completed seven wooden boats made of VENDIA marine plank. The course lasted a month and the participants made all the boats together. Surface finishing for the boats will be done in the spring when they also will be raffled among the builders. At the beginning of summer the course participants will get to try the new boats to the Savonian lake scenery.

Canadian-born boatbuilding veteran

Canadian-born boatbuilder Jorma Hangas fiddled VENDIA marine plank on VENDIA´s presentation stand in Sulkava Rowing Race on July 2014 and he said: “Oh, I wish this had been invented 45 years ago!” The owner of the Finnish boatyard Juvan Veneveistämö Ky Jorma Hangas started to build wooden boats in 1966 and since then he has been building numerous wooden boats for customers in Finland, Nordic countries and Germany. At best, he has built 30 boats per year. To this day he has built altogether honourable number of approximately 1000 boats.

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.

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.