Marinerit (the Mariners) is a society for motor boat cruisers. It was established in 1989 in Finland by motor yachtsmen who all were experienced in long voyages in motor boats and had all visited ports south of Sweden. The criteria for membership are that the applicant is to be an experienced motor yachtsman with a good reputation and at least one passage from Finland to south of latitude 55° 20’ N and back.

Members have done several cruises from Finland to Central Europe, the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.The Mariners is not an ordinary yacht club with a home port and facilities. The club is a place for people of similar boating interests to meet each other and enjoy the hobby together. Members come from all around Finland and the club is national – not local. Members are also members in their home yacht club and fly its flag.

Members are called mariners.

A Master Mariner meets the requirements of membership as master of the boat. Masters have a personal member’s number.A Crew Mariner meets the requirements of membership as a crew member of the boat. Crew members are often family members, but insome cases masters who have done the required long distance cruising as a crew member on board another boat. When later having done the long cruise as a master, he or she will be promoted a master mariner.The number of members is about 50. The demanding criteria for membership will hardly allow the club to become big.

The flag and the burgee 

The membership of Marinerit is shown with the mariner flag or burgee. A rising beam divides the flag into two halves. In the upper left half there is a star and in the lower right part a propeller.

The beam indicates that off-shore water level is seldom horizontal but when in a calm port the burgee will fall so that the beam will be horizontal as the water level would, too.

  The star indicates a long, lonely distance from home and also has the shape of a compass card telling that a mariner is deliberately on the way to a destination and not drifting with the wind. The propeller is below the water line, as is the case in reality telling what actually is making the progress possible.

A master mariner is entitled to fly the rectangular Mariner Flag on his or her motor boat, which is approved by the club as a mariner boat.A master or member mariner is entitled to fly the triangular Member’s Burgee on any boat on board he or she is the master, a crew member or guest. This burgee can be seen on sailboats, rental boats and other non-Mariner boats.

Activities

The club supports its members by providing a forum for exchanging experiences and by supplying support material for cruising. Technical, operational, navigational, logistical and psychological themes related to boating are discussed and trained within the club by means of courses and articles.

The club also arranges courses and lectures for non-members encouraging and advising them to do long cruises in motor boats.

A member magazine is published 3 to 4 times annually.

Contact information

Please see page "Yhteystiedot".