Motorboats outnumbered for the first time by yachts in Finland’s archipelago

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Last summer, for the first time ever, there were fewer motorboats than sailboats plying the waters of the Turku Archipelago in Southwestern Finland.
      The observation was communicated in one voice by motor and sail boating experts at the autumn’s only boating exhibition, the Turku Boat Fair 2008.
      “The changing future is most clearly seen on the motor boating front. The reason for reduced recreational motor boating is the sharply increased prices of petrol and diesel in particular, both of which were decidedly affected by taxation”, says executive director Ben Fagerström of Marino Oy.
      “The price of fuel used to be 80 cents per litre, whereas last summer one had to pay double, EUR 1.60 per litre.”
      Last summer’s poor weather and changes in the boating culture may also have had an effect on motor boating becoming less popular.
     
More and more people concentrate on day-trips on the sea. They no longer sail long distances but focus on shorter visits to restaurants and other services in the archipelago.
      According to Fagerström, the world’s uncertain economic situation has affected boat sales in such a way that large manufacturers have already started closing their doors.
      “We only construct bespoke boats and with us there have been no signs of slowing down compared to last year. Then again, the definitive situation can only be seen after something like six months from now”, explains Fagerström.
      Sales and marketing director Iiro Kinnanen of the yacht brokerage Helmarin says that his company is now offered clearly more used motorboats than sailboats to be sold.
      “Still, the price of new boats has not turned downwards as yet.”
      “On the sailboat side the price of fuel has obviously not had the same effect as with motorboats. Sailboats have become a kind of lifestyle trend.”
     
At the boat fair the results of a vote for Finland’s best guest harbours were also made public.
      In all, 140 guest marinas received votes. The top three were the Eastern Harbour of Hanko, the Airisto Strand, and Turku’s Aurajoki.


Links:
  Turku Boat Fair 2008
  Helmarin
  Marino

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