Churchboat Poseidon 14+1  team building at its best

Elsewhere also known as ‘Viking boats’ with their traditional sleek wooden lines, Finnish church-boats could be over 20 meters long and were built almost exclusively of pine, clinker style usually with six strakes. Historically associated specifically with ferrying outlying congregations to church (and home again) they were constructed and rowed locally, involving both men and women at the oars, with the largest known to have had 60 rowers.

Nowadays the sport is recreational with boats owned mainly by rowing clubs, which gather at regular events held around Finland every summer. Over the years, many teams have been sponsored by firms eager to support an activity that itself improves the participants' physical well-being as well as being a highly interactive social activity. No one sits in a relatively small wooden boat for a number of hours without developing some sense of community. And the slowest teams may take longer with all their unofficial breaks for refreshments, even cigarettes and sight-seeing - they really have fun together in these boats.

Designed to perform well in the Finnish church-boat races, the Poseidon 14+1 is a true 14hp (human power) rowing machine. The very stiff hull is equipped with the latest innovations such as the Poseidon sliding seat system and the Sarana oarlocks with Loiske sweep oars. The boat is finished with two component paint and/or varnish for optimal glide through the water as well as longevity.

Although primairily designed for racing, the boat is also very suitable for longer trips of days or even weeks. With a cruising speed of 11- 12 km/hour trips of 60 km a day can easily be achieved. The story of such a trip (800 km) made in 2007 by the German rowing club KLEINMACHNOW-STAHNSDORF-TELTOW can be found here: http://www.wanderrudern.de/html/saimaa_pielinen_07.html