Efforts underway to revive dying wooden boat building tradition in Finland
The tradition of wooden boat building is at risk of dying out as skilled craftsmen age. To combat this, enthusiasts are being sought to keep the traditional craft alive. This summer, three international canoe-building courses were held at Ämmätsä Manor in Pälkäne, Finland. The participants constructed Nordic open canoes using the traditional lapstrake technique in the manor’s former barn.
The Nordic lapstrake boat tradition is listed on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. However, professional boat builders are dwindling; it’s estimated there are only about 50 left in Finland in 2021.
Self-proclaimed “paddling carpenter” Juho Paaso has been helping hobbyists at Ämmätsä Manor’s wood workshop. According to Paaso, anyone can build a wooden canoe if they can handle a hammer and follow instructions.
Participants have been enthusiastic about learning skills that they had only heard about from their ancestors. Elsa Merivuori, who represents the youngest generation on the course, said that although handcrafting is common among her friends, none of them would volunteer to build a canoe on their summer holiday. She expressed concern that this type of traditional woodworking is a disappearing folk tradition.
Her father, Kai Merivuori, was excited to spend two weeks with his daughter, adding that he has admired wooden boats at boat shows for decades and looked forward to using the canoe at their summer cottage.
The use of fiberglass-reinforced plastic in boat construction, which became popular in the 1960s, has led to environmental challenges. A recent British study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials examined the accumulation of this plastic in marine organisms, particularly in mussels and oysters near shores.
Discarded fiberglass boats also pose a disposal challenge, especially in small island nations with limited landfill space. This issue has sparked discussions in Finland as well. Paaso believes that well-maintained wooden boats could be a sustainable solution, not only environmentally but also in terms of durability in Finland’s variable weather.