This is our Story
Meet Caroline, our Grand Old Lady
The thought of a habitable ship was a distant dream a few years ago. Both of us had thought about it without knowing about each other. We had not met yet. A strong feeling about a floating summer home in Saimaa was often in our minds. All that was missing was a like-minded partner with whom the dream could become true.
It took a surprising encounter in the harbour and a weekend-long date on a boat to change the story. Soon after, it was clear to both of us that a perfect companion had been found.
History of the Ship
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Onkilahti (Metviken) was built in 1926 in Vaasa, on the Onkilahti shipyard
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Length 17,4 m
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Weight 50 t.
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The ship was originally moving on a steam engine
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Metviken worked for years as a tug
Premises
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Guests have access to one of the ship's two cabins, upper and lower lounge, sauna, bathroom & toilet
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Exterior of the vessel: top deck, front deck and stern deck
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The ship also has a kitchen, cockpit and engine room
Captain & Crew
We are Ari & Sonja, captain & crew of m/s Caroline Metviken.
Ari
The captain of our ship is a skilled and productive man. I fell in love with his sense of style, his kind and gentle nature and his open minded way of looking at the world. He's also an excellent cook.
His interest in science and technology were clearly visible as a child. Ari disassembled all the possible widgets into parts and put them back together again. There is no machine or device that he would not be able to develop, build, maintain and repair. It was natural for him to create a profession and a career out of his interest. The work of a CEE has taken Ari to many countries and special locations around the world.
Ari has been crisscrossing around Saimaa all his life, and he has driven different types of boats since he was a child. He has built a wooden classic boat himself and his handprint can be seen in the restoration projects of two mahogany boats.
Ari loves and values nature and animals. Animals love him. One or few of our dogs are always near him. The nature of Lapland attracts him especially in the winter. One of Ari's passions is snowboarding or skiing on the fells, and with favorable winds, you can see him gliding up the hill with kite. In the summertime you can find him... you guessed right!
Sonja
Sonja is a cheerful and heartfelt person. She is like a fairy. Kids love her. She is very good with people and great with customers!
Sonja has worked as a ski instructor and wilderness guide in Lapland. For many years she drove tourists to the wilderness by husky sleds. She is also known as a talented photographer, sensitive naturopath, event organiser, and SUP-paddling instructor... What else? She loves to sing and play bass. In her early years she played violin.
Sonja has lived in many places, she has traveled around the world and met lots of different kinds of people. However, her spiritual home is in Saimaa. She has spent almost all her summers here in lake area. She has been sailing, fishing, paddling and driving motor boats since she was a little girl.
I must also mention that her great-grandmother was a famous healer in Karelia, and Sonja has also inherited this skill. With Sonja, you're in good hands!
Luffe
Most of all, Luffe is a cheerful dog.
Hilla, in memoriam (2004-2023)
Liisa
Tilda
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