Boatbuilders with VENDIA

Wooden boats were made of VENDIA marine plank in boatbuilding course of Soisalo Institute in Sorsakoski, Finland. Course participants Viljo Huovinen, Paul Hämäläinen, Timo Kervola, Reino Uusaro, Veikko Hiltunen and Keijo Issakainen built their own wooden boats with a course teacher Ilmo Koivisto. To most of them, building a boat was the first time. Now part of the course participants are planning to build another boat the next winter.

VENDIA marine plank was used as a boatbuilding material in the course. Ribs were made of aspen and other parts were made of solid pine. The boats were impregnated with a mixture of linseed oil and turpentine. The surface was treated with a glimmer shade. According to Uusaro, VENDIA marine plank was easy to bend and work. Hiltunen, for his part, tells that the marine plank is flexible and it is easy to handle. Hiltunen is already planning to build the next winter a 6-metre-long motorboat using VENDIA as a raw material.

Several weekends and also some weeknights of hard work were rewarded with self-made wooden boats in the beginning of June. The finished wooden boats were drawn to their builders in Paukarlahti, Finland. Now these boats afloat already and experiences have been great. Issakainen mentioned, that now the way to the island cottage is less than an hour with the new boat. With the old boat it took an hour and a quarter. Also the fuel consumption is third lesser than before, says Issakainen.

Sulkava Rowing Race

VENDIA was present at Sulkava Rowing Race from Friday to Saturday on 11.-12.7.2014. On VENDIA’s stand people got a chance to explore a new type of marine plank and also to admire a wooden boat made of quarter cut VENDIA marine plank. There were lots of people visiting on the stand because of the opportunity to participate to the draw, where the prize was this wooden boat.

This wooden boat is manufactured by a boatbuilding students Johannes Leppävuori and Jarmo Parviainen from Ingman College of Crafts and Design. The boat is designed by a boatdesigner Jarmo Häkkinen and the model is called Venla. The material used on the boat is quarter cut VENDIA marine plank.

The wooden boat and also VENDIA marine plank as a material attracted wide admiration among the visitors especially because of the appearance of the marine plank. Visitors liked the beautiful and knot-free surface of the marine plank. Also the boatbuilders visited on the presentation stand praised the assertiveness and bendability of VENDIA marine plank.

Saimaa ringed seal also liked VENDIA marine plank. Luontoliitto was photographing there material for their campaign about preserving the Saimaa ringed seals. Also VENDIA got a chance to get a picture with Saimaa ringed seal.

The winner for the wooden boat was drew on Saturday on 12^th July at 18.00 pm. The lucky winner and new owner for the boat is Terttu Tuominen from Salo. The previous day Terttu participated in Sulkava Rowing Race of 60 km and she told that winning the boat topped of her Sulkava Rowing Race event. Before the win she has told to her acquaintances that winning this beautiful boat would be her dream come true. Now Terttu told us that she has rowed a lot with this boat. We also heard that the boat is easy and light to row.

Congratulations to Terttu and have a pleasant rowing with the new boat!  

Win a wooden boat!

The draw sheet is now open at: www.vendia.fi/arvonta

The wooden boat is introduced at Sulkava Rowing Race from Friday to Saturday 11.-12.7.2014 on VENDIA's presentation stand.


EDIT. The draw is closed.

Sulkava Rowing Race 11.-12.7.2014 - Win a wooden boat!

VENDIA is present at Sulkava Rowing Race from Friday to Saturday on 11.-12.7.2014. On VENDIA presentation stand you can explore a new type of VENDIA marine plank as raw material for wooden boat building. On presentation stand there is also introduced a wooden boat made of quarter cut VENDIA marine plank.

You will find VENDIA's presentation stand from the market area of Sulkava Rowing Race. The presentation stand is located right across from the competition office (place T7 on the map).

Win the wooden boat for yourself! The boat is manufactured by the boat building students Johannes Leppävuori and Jarmo Parviainen from the Ingman College of Crafts and Design. The value of the boat is 2.500 euros. It is possible to participate in the draw either on VENDIA's presentation stand or in the separate draw website. The draw sheet will be opened on Friday 11th July at 12:00 am on VENDIA's website. Official draw among the participants is performed on Saturday 12th July at 18:00 pm at Sulkava Rowing Race. We will contact the winner personally.

Welcome to Sulkava Rowing Race!

The first VENDIA boat

The first boat made of VENDIA marine plank was built at the Ingman College of Crafts and Design in January 2014. A new type of marine plank received a great interest and it was seen as a welcome novelty in addition to the traditional plywood. At first glance VENDIA is incredibly beautiful as a material, describes Ilmo Koivisto, the builder of first VENDIA boat. The VENDIA marine plank is beautiful and knot-free pine, which has been difficult to find as a material for boat building.

The boat has been designed by a boat designer Jarmo Häkkinen and the model is called Venla. It is built by a boatbuilding teacher Ilmo Koivisto. Koivisto praises the workability of  the marine plank. VENDIA is easy to bend and it bends much easier than traditional plywood, says Koivisto.

VENDIA marine plank made of sliced veneers has only two crosswise veneers, which makes it easy to work with the chamfers and rabbets.

Picture from left Ilmo Koivisto, Jarmo Parviainen and Johannes Leppävuori.

The finished boat has got plenty of admiration also from the audience. Especially the beautiful appearance of raw-material has gained admiration, says Koivisto. Beautiful, knot-free surface makes the boat look neat.