Hyöky takes centre stage at Kotka Sea Festival

Museolaiva Hyöky has been towed to Kotka’s Meripäivälaituri more than forty times, but this year’s Sea Festival may be the 114-year-old vessel’s final appearance.

Helsinki-born S/S Hyöky was built in 1912 as a lightship for the Russian Imperial Navy and later served in the Finnish civil war. After decades as a floating lighthouse and survey vessel, it was sold to entrepreneur Jorma “Patu” Patanen in 1983 and has since operated as a restaurant ship at Kotka Sea Festival under the name Pallo & Pullo.

Patanen, 80, has said every year for the past two decades that this would be Hyöky’s last festival, but now he says it for real. “I’ve told myself every year for 20 years that this is the last time, but now it really is,” he told Yle on Wednesday.

The festival, one of Finland’s largest urban events, runs from Wednesday to Sunday and features visiting vessels open to the public.

Patanen has operated a maritime-themed restaurant and museum inside the protected Tullimakasiini warehouse on Haminas Tervasaari island. Haminas city council decided in early June to sell the warehouse buildings and terminate Patasen’s lease on 16 June, prompting 239 public objections and a court challenge from Patanen’s lawyer.

The new owner plans to build a spa complex on the site. Patanen said the ship, currently moored at Kotka’s festival quay, is in fair condition but needs renovation. Haminas city council says Hyöky has never been city property and has no official berth on Tervasaari.

Hyöky first attended Kotka Sea Festival as a restaurant ship in 1984. Since then, local football club KTP has leased the vessel several times to run the Pallo & Pullo restaurant during the festival.