Ever Since I Was a Child, I Have Had the Mind of a Boat Builder
I never wanted to fit into a mold made by someone else and instead have gone where my instincts take me. For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to the water. My father always said that “what we cannot buy, we will make ourselves”. Even before I was born, my father was building a boat out of steel in our backyard. The boat was eventually named Jaakko. Later, he built me my first very own boat. So it isn’t that surprising that I often return to my memories of childhood summers and times spent on the water. As a child, I would follow my father at his workshop, tinkering with odds and ends. I picked up my engineer father’s precision and crafting skills, and I first thought I would become an engineer as well. But working with my hands always attracted me more.
The Soul of an Artist, the Mind of a Boatbuilder
I went to school and worked various jobs for close to a decade before I eventually came to study boatbuilding at Ikaalinen College of Crafts and Design. I knew right away that I had found my thing. I had finally found a place where the soul of an artist, the mind of a boatbuilder, and the brain of an engineer could work together from the same plans.
While studying to become a boatbuilder, I also came across an old acquaintance. On a study visit to Kotka, I spotted the old, worn-out mahogany boat we had seen on our way to the summerhouse all those years ago, which had now been restored to its former glory. Even after 15 years, the boat wasn’t mine to have, but I decided to do what my father always said and build one just like it myself.
So, when I graduated, I did so with a magnificent mahogany boat of my own making. It took another eight years of working in construction before I was ready to put it all on the line for my dream of building boats. Jade Boats was established in 2021, and my journey toward the dream had begun.
I have always looked at things in my own way, with a desire to keep improving further. This exact same mentality is shared by boat engineer Kai Noras, who drafts the designs for Jade Boats, ensuring that they stay within the intended framework and utilize the best materials. We make a good combo: I go by feel, and Kai keeps the technical details in check.
I believe that there is nothing in this world I could not make with my hands. And if I don’t know how to do something, I will learn it. I have been boating for so long that I can tell by looking at the bottom of a boat how it cuts through the water and how stable it is. Good ideas take time and develop slowly.
“This is my thing, building boats using natural materials. I just do what I want and what makes me feel happy and what I’m passionate about. I hope that people can see and feel what I’m trying to introduce, create, and produce. I don’t have to compete with others and I don’t want to do so. I’m just doing my own thing.”
Jaakko Malinen
Founder of Jade Boats