There he stands, in the Market Square harbor in Helsinki. The morning sun is just beginning to sparkle on the waves, but the sea is already crowded. The harbor is always busy, with goods and people on their way. The boy is only 13 years old, sent to work from Ostrobothnia. His name is Jaakko.
A shout is heard from behind: what are you doing, boy! They've come here to work. And they really started working. Wearing a red and white cap, Jaakko learned the jobs, customs and things of the port: from his mother, from women and scoundrels. Jaakko stayed in the harbor, and grew from a boy to a man.
Jaakko did many kinds of work, even driving pontoon boats. However, the harbor and the archipelago attracted the young man, and Jaakko expanded into other kinds of rides, waterways. On a ship powered by wood gas, he took people from the archipelago to work in the capital and back, morning and evening. The archipelago was not just a place of everyday life, but also a place of celebration and joy. On the boat, on the piers and in the summer places, people often had fun, sat on the shore cliff, sang, laughed, fell in love and played the accordion.
At that time, the Warsaw song was still playing. The prohibition law was over, but pirtu was still circulating in the archipelago, and Jaakko sometimes delivered it to customers both on the water and on his pier. It was common, but still forbidden, and Jaakko even lost his first ship, the m/s Annik, when it was confiscated by the authorities.
However, the adversities did not discourage the stubborn Ostrobothnian. More ships arrived and there was plenty of room for life – family and entrepreneurship, with all its difficulties and joys. There was no wealth, but the archipelago was always just as beautiful and lively. When the Olympics in 1952 put Finland on the world map, Jaakko and his sons began taking tourists and locals to enjoy the atmosphere of the archipelago. International dignitaries, including royalty, also took part in the cruises.
Today, you too can arrive at Helsinki’s Market Square, the same place where Jaakko once watched the morning rush of the sea as a young boy at sunrise. On a Royal Lines cruise, you are always like royalty to us. We will take you to a timeless time, a moment where decades blend. When you step aboard the 80-year-old Royal Line ship, you are on Jaakko’s journey. You can see Jaakko’s tricks and hear happy greetings from decades ago, as the rascal surprises our customers with his own tricks, and sometimes also us – the continuers of Jaakko’s work, and guides the ship through the timeless magic of the archipelago.
Welcome to the Market Square and the m/s Helsinki ship for the Open Doors event on May 12. Come enjoy the delicacies of the archipelago, experience the joyful festive atmosphere and grab the best sea adventure offers. Check out the program here.
See you on the aboard!
