Shipyard

Jakobstad and the surrounding regions have over 450 years of shipbuilding tradition. Until the mid-19th century, the harbor of Jakobstad was located in the area known as Gamla Hamn (Old Harbor), which was a bustling centre of maritime business. Today, Gamla Hamn is a popular recreational area with a sandy beach, beautiful forest, small boat harbor, and a strong historical presence in the red-painted boathouses and the Shipyard, home to the galeas Jacobstads Wapen and the war indemnity schooner Vega.

At the Shipyard in Jakobstad, you’ll find the galeas Jacobstads Wapen and the war indemnity schooner Vega. The area functions both as an active shipyard and a museum. It preserves and showcases the local maritime cultural history, traditional wooden shipbuilding, and the war reparations history of Finland

The two-masted galeas Jacobstads Wapen was originally built in the 1760s based on drawings by Fredrik Henrik af Chapman. When it was launched in 1767, it was one of over a thousand sailing ships built in the region over the centuries. Jacobstads Wapen was the first ship from Jakobstad to sail abroad after navigational freedom was granted in 1765. The original drawings are still preserved in the archives of the Jakobstad – Pietarsaari Museum.

The construction for a replica of the galeas began in 1988 and the ship was launched on July 12, 1992. The launch took place in beautiful summer weather with a large audience present. The ship’s maiden voyage took place in 1994. It made public sailings in the Gulf of Bothnia and served as a symbol of the city of Jakobstad. It also participated in the 300th anniversary of Saint Petersburg in 2003. In 2005, rot damage was discovered in the ship’s planks, leading to necessary repair work.

The war reparations ship Vega is a three-masted schooner, built from wood and rigged as a schooner ship. It was delivered to the Soviet Union in 1952 as part of the heavy war reparations imposed on Finland after the Continuation War. Jarl Lindblom designed the plans for the 91 schooners included in the reparations. Vega was used as a training ship for future sailors and was based in Tallinn.

Vega was decommissioned in 1979 and hauled ashore in 1986. The Estonian Maritime Museum intended to restore her, but the work never truly began. The schooner was poorly protected and began to deteriorate. After discussions with the Estonian Maritime Museum, Jakobstad’s Gamla Hamn Ltd decided to establish a foundation, which was registered on June 3, 1996, under the name Vega Foundation.

The schooner is housed in its own hall and represents the craftsmanship of its time in building ships from domestic wood using innovative materials and production techniques. One of the techniques used in its construction was laminated wood technology (“glu-lam”). The shipyard in Turku where Vega was built also used assembly line techniques. Both methods were brought from the USA by Jarl Lindblom. The restoration of Vega is still ongoing. During the summer, visitors can explore the ship at the Shipyard on weekdays or at other times by appointment.