Hamburg VII
The sea has enchanted us. On land the best route for us is the one along the shore. On water we feel at home on a sail boat. For long we were without a boat of our own and rented one when we could. Owning a boat in Finland requires a touch of madness. The summer is short and the boat in storage on land most of the year. If we sailed using only cold logic, we would have continued renting. We browsed through the boats for sale for years until finally we found one we could not pass.
Hamburg VII is a dream come true. The old handicap rules have shaped her hull to be much more beautiful than the modern boats with wide afts. Its rigging is almost modern. The masts are thick aluminium from the 60's with plenty of safety margin. The hull and the construction is made to handle the oceans and has succesfully done so. On the waves Hamu's deep draft and mass are more solemn and feel safer than the flat bottomed modern yachts. From the inside she is classy, spacious and cozy.
Hamburg VII is a sailboat. When one wants, one can put up plenty of canvas. She has been made to sail. The relatively small engine is there for the days when there is no wind.
For us Hamburg VII is a work of art, 22 metric ton sailing sculpture, an instrument of nature. A wooden boat looks, feels, sounds and smells right. It affects feelings. One must touch its varnished skin. The waves lapping to its sides whisper about past and future voyages. When walking on the pier, you cannot pass her without stopping.
Most of the boat buyers choose class fiber. Large wooden boats have a small market and not that large offering either. New ones are not being made. We tried to convince ourselves of the practicality of other materials but the wooden boat charm was stronger than us. Again and again we noticed that only wooden boats get our interest. Wood choose us.
She is big. We can sail with our whole family and take a few guests on board as well. Our social nature does not want to retreat even at the sea. We want to offer this experience to others as well. The size of Hamburg VII gives the opportunity to take sailing her a step further from a hobby and offer her unique experience for charter. We are very aware that the Finnish summer is short and we cannot possibly get enough paying customers to even cover her expenses. But that is really not the whole point. The idea of showing others another way of sailing is pleasing to us.
We want to share the experience of traveling at sea and moving on the waves. At the latest when you cast off the lines you cast off all the worries on the land. When the sea is calm it calms a restless mind to live in a moment. One never tires looking at and listening to the water yelding from way at the bow. It is like watching a live fire. A more playful ocean does not give time to think about secondary worries. In a purposeful wind and with full sails a boat tries ones physique, skill and character.
Hamburg VII 2014