Finnish Archipelago & Aland Islands For Exciting Summer Cruising

One of the world's greatest cruising grounds -- and ideal for powerboats -- is the Finish Archipelago and he Aland Islands in the Baltic. This summer the New York Yacht Club is joining with Scandinavian yacht clubs for a July cruise of the islands.

Now is the time to make your summer 2011 cruising plans in the northern hemisphere. Perhaps one of the most picturesque and island-filled areas is the Finnish Archipelago and the Aland Islands, which certainly must rank in the Top 10 cruising grounds of the world. If you have ever wondered why so many recreational marine companies are located in Scandinavia, now you know one reason why.We recently attended a celebration at the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) of the Finnish Yacht Club's (Nylandska Jaktklubben -- NJK) 150th Anniversary and made our own plans to cruise there next summer.

The NJK is one of the oldest registered sporting organizations in Finland and received its privileges from Tsar Alexander II on March 4th, 1861 -- the same day that Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as president of the United States.

Archipelago Sea (Finnish Saaristomeri, Swedish Skärgårdshavet) is a part of the Baltic Sea between the Gulf of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland and the Sea of Åland, within Finnish territorial waters. By some definitions it is the largest archipelago in the world by the number of islands, although many of the islands are very small and tightly clustered.

The NYYC was the venue for the celebration of the NJK's 150th anniversary. From left to right: The Honorable Elisabeth Naucler, Aland's only member of he Finnish Parliament. Jeff Hammond, founder of BoatTEST.com, the NYYC/NAS Cruise Chairman, Lars Colliander who lives both in the U.S. and in FInland on one of the beautiful islands in the Archipelago Sea.

The larger islands are inhabited and connected by ferries and bridges. The Åland Islands, including the largest islands of the region, form an autonomous region within Finland. The rest of the islands are part of Finland Proper. The Archipelago Sea is a significant tourist destination.

The islands were granted extensive autonomy by the Parliament of Finland in the Act on the Autonomy of Åland of 1920, which was later replaced by new legislation by the same name in 1951 and 1991.

In connection with Finland's admission to the European Union, a protocol was signed concerning the Åland Islands that stipulates, among other things, that provisions of the European Community Treaty shall not force a change of the existing restrictions for foreigners (i.e., persons who do not enjoy "home region rights" (hembygdsrätt) in Åland) to acquire and hold real property or to provide certain services, implying a recognition of a separate nationality.

The Finnish Archipelago "A", with Aland in the middle, Sweden at the left and the Finish mainland at the right. It's a yachtsman delight -- but stay off the rocks!

The archipelago has a very large number of islands. The exact number depends on the definition of the term "island", as the size of the patches of dry land in the area varies from small rocks peeking out of the water to large islands with several villages or even small towns. The number of the larger islands of over 1 km2 within the Archipelago Sea is 257, whilst the number of smaller isles of over 0,5 ha (one acre) is about 18,000.

Aland Islands, west of the Finnish archipelago, separating the Baltic Sea from the Gulf of Bothnia.

Aland Islands -- Unique in the World

The Åland Islands (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈoː) form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarized, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland..

Åland comprises Fasta Åland (the "Main Island," with 90% of the population), together with an archipelago to the east that comprises over 6,500 skerries and islands. Fasta Åland is separated from the coast of Sweden by 38 kilometres (24 mi) of open water to the west. In the east, the Åland archipelago is contiguous with the Finnish Archipelago Sea.

The autonomous status of the islands was affirmed by a decision made by the League of Nations in 1921 following the Åland crisis. It was reaffirmed within the treaty admitting Finland to the European Union. By law, Åland is politically neutral and entirely demilitarised, and residents are exempt from conscription to the Finnish Defence Forces.

Cocktail party for the NJK celebration in the famed model room of the New York Yacht Club.

Songfest

No party involving Scandinavian yachtsmen and yachtswomen would be complete without a multitude of toasts and bon mots. There were also a number of songs sung in the dinning room with all hand standing. The one we enjoyed the most is as follows--

I like the snaps

And the snaps like me

Thrilling as only snaps can be

Please go to hell with juice and tea

Snaps is the drink for me.

Over the mountains and over the sea

Thousands of snaps are waiting for me,

Please for to hell with juice and tea

Snaps is the drink for me.

(Not until the anchor is down, of course.)