This national park is not accessible by car but can be reached by kayak. We will paddle through the inner archipelago and make our way to the rugged islets of the outer archipelago.

We will paddle as far out in the archipelago as the weather conditions allow. We will also try to reach Jussarö island with its compelling history as a former mine and subsequent restricted military area. The island has only been open to the general public since the beginning of 2005. Today Jussarö offers an instructive nature trail which is an essential experience.

We will spend the night in tents and prepare our food with stoves. This trip is suitable for both beginners and advanced paddlers.

Programme
Saturday: We will meet in Skåldö at 11am or at Gullö at 10am where we will load the kayaks and paddle out into the archipelagic labyrinth of islands. If the weather permits our destination will be Jussarö where we will spend the night. If the winds are too strong, we will stay in the inner archipelago and camp on Modermagan island or possibly a nearby island with a cottacge for the night.
Sunday: Starting from our camp we will explore the surrounding archipelago. We will return to Skåldö at 4 p.m. at the latest.

About the kayaking
We will paddle approximately 5-6 hours per day with many breaks. We will be using single kayaks with or without rudders. Please notify us which type of kayak you wish to use. The tour will be led by a qualified paddling instructor. This will ensure a safe and informative tour.

The price of the tour
will depend on the specific tour shedule you choose from our calendar, and the options you choose. Inclusions may be:
- Meals
- Accommodation (tent or cottage)
- Kayak, paddle, spraydeck
- Transports
- Maps
- Guide

This tour is targeted to serve families with children and young teenagers, but there is no reason why and older person would not enjoy the same games and teaching excersises. Kids and young teenagers enjoy kayaking as such. In a family setting they might be bored without the extra action. The young quickly learn an exceed their elders in skills in the right setting. The proper challenges are brought by educational games towards kayak handling, balancing and rescue skills. This tour is designed to be spiced with games and skills learning while having a goal to reach a camping site/cottage in the unique archipelago of Ekenäs. We pick and choose from a palette of activities that we feel will inspire most at that moment.

The tour is approximately 8-10 kilometers per day. Our experience is that children even under the age of 9 and up can paddle the distance in their own boat, participate and enjoy in the company of their parent(s). Parents may learn about towing and safety considerations where they play with their kids.

Small islands and rocks can be explored by foot or by kayak at the destination. Food and sauna can be included. Sleeping is either in high quality tents with sleeping bags or in a cottage.

Fragrance

- Greenland style low volume kayak built with pine strips in the core. (3.800 euro)

Page about the strip built version of Fragrance.

Too tired arms to keep on paddling?

Too tired to follow, and awkward feelign in your arms and wrists, the others are happily paddling away or your kayak is turning in all other directions? Perhaps you'd like to become a successful competition kayaker or only do it for the joy. Don't let the small aches destroy it for you, but go and ask someone else analyse your forward paddling and fix it in small steps.

Relax

Your quickest entry to kayaking skills is to attend our five hour beginners course. Attend one of the sheduled courses and if you cannot match one of the available we try to organise one suitable for you. For groups larger than 4 people we can organise a bespoke class.  

The structure and emphasis in the course contents will vary to meet the skills and needs of the clients while the goal is to cover and develop skills and understanding needed for a 1 Star certificate. This course is also the basis for continuing towards 2 and 3 star asessments.

Fragrance low volume design makes rolling easier to learn, and with some comfort for your legs. Especially the back deck is so low that it is constantly flushed by water. The watertight hatch cover gets a new meaning. Even a small leak could quickly fill up the boat hatch. Edge and half the hatch will be submerged. We did manage to construct a hatch cover that is even tighter and easier to handle than most commercially sold factory hatches, while still using wood. Our goal is to have a hatch - even on this low volume kayak - that could allow keeping spareclothes dry even spred loosley in the hatch. The covers are still easy to open and close.

Measures: Length 534 cm, width 47 cm, weight 18,4 cm, cockpit rim length/width 59/40 cm, front edge height 22 cm, front hatch volume 60 litres, rear hatch 60 litres. Skeg and footrests are adjustable.

Jöns used the kayak för half an hour in the breaking waves seen in the picture below. A couple of times it was bow in the sand and tail in the air close to flipping over.

Fragrance i vågor  

"Fragrance Test" is made during out of the first testpaddles in May 2011. Several finnishing improvements have been made since than. Especially to improve the functionality of the hatches. The front hatch is always dry now.

Sam Crowley from Sea Kayak Specialists in Michigan paticipated in Hanko Sea Kayak Gathering in August 2011 as a guest coach. He was all smiles and impressed after trying out Fragrance.

Starting to roll is easier and you get the chance to feel the roll in slow motion with the proper equipment. The Greenland Inuits used tuiliks to stay warm during hunting on cold waters. The tuilik allows for free flow of body heat in all of the kayak, and it gives some extra floatation in case of a capsize. It also keeps water out. This tuilik is made of neoprene to fit the small cockpit of the greenlander. Also your socks are likely to stay dry while you paddle in waves that flush over the kayak.

"Balance brace" or floating beside the kayak is a good exersize in perfecting your special rolls. You can try many different body, kayak, paddle and water positions also in slow motion and notice the effects. The greenland paddle with some volume helps even more.

Kayaks have been part of the archipelago for almost 100 years!

I (Jöns Aschan) started with kayak renting and guided tours as a trial summer 2004. I continue the operation with the name Paddlingsfabriken or "Paddlefactory". Paddles are core and factory since our equipment and services are combined to services for you and your personal experience. Tens of years of experience, archipelago and kayaking becomes our product. You should consider at least part of your Finland visit to be a tour in the Ekenäs archipelago toghether with us.