Western Harbour (Mariehamn)

The Western Harbour (Swedish: Västerhamn) is one of two harbours in the port of Mariehamn, the regional capital of Åland, in the Archipelago Sea part of the Baltic.[4]

Western Harbour, Mariehamn
Ferries in the port of Mariehamn
Map
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Native name
Västerhamn (Swedish)
Location
CountryFinland
LocationMariehamn, Åland
Coordinates60°05′35″N 19°55′38″E / 60.093056°N 19.927222°E / 60.093056; 19.927222
UN/LOCODEFI MHQ[1]
Details
Operated byMariehamns Hamn AB
Type of harbourcoastal natural
No. of wharfs6
Draft depthmax. 9.2 metres (30 ft) depth[2]
Statistics
Annual cargo tonnagec. 46,000 tons (int'l) (2018)[3]
Passenger trafficc. 2.5m (int'l, total) (2018)[3]
Website
mariehamnshamn.ax/en/

Passenger traffic and duty-free sales

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Most cruiseferry routes between southern mainland Finland and Sweden, as well as between Estonia and Sweden, call at Mariehamn.[5] This is largely due to Åland being outside of the EU customs regime, which allows vessels calling at an Åland port to sell duty-free goods.[6][7][8]

With an average of 15 daily ferry sailings,[9] and approximately 20 international cruise ships visiting Mariehamn each year,[4] the Western Harbour is the third-busiest international passenger port in Finland with c. 1.25 million annual passenger arrivals (2.5m total passenger movements) in 2018.[3]

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The shipping lane into the Western Harbour has a maximum depth of 9.2 metres (30 ft) and a minimum navigable width of 200 metres (660 ft).[2]

The harbour remains ice-free most winters, or is only covered by thin ice.[2]

Attractions

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The museum ship Pommern, a four-masted iron-hulled sailing ship built in 1903, is moored in the Western Harbour as an exhibit of the Åland Maritime Museum.[10]

Mariehamn's other harbour, the Eastern Harbour (Swedish: Österhamn, Finnish: Itäsatama), is mainly used for smaller leisure boats and yachts, and is one of the largest leisure marinas in the Nordic region.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "UN/LOCODE - Finland". United Nations. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Fairway Card - Mariehamn" (PDF). Vayla.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Traficom International Maritime Statistics 2019" (PDF). Traficom.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Transport and Communications Agency. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Port of Mariehamn". MariehamnsHamn.ax. Port of Mariehamn. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Maarianhamina". Itamerensatamat.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  6. ^ "How A Tiny Baltic Archipelago Could Kick Start A Retail Revival". Forbes. 27 June 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  7. ^ "A part of Europe to remain forever duty-free". Irish Times. 10 November 1998. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  8. ^ "The special status of the Åland Islands". Åland Post. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Passenger Traffic". MariehamnsHamn.ax. Port of Mariehamn. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Åland Maritime Museum". SjöfartsMuseum.ax. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  11. ^ "Maarianhamina Österhamn". Itamerensatamat.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 October 2020.
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