Nokian Veneilijät ry
Nokian Veneilijät ry is a boating club founded in 1978 on Lake Pyhäjärvi in Nokia, Finland. According to SPV statistics for 2025, it is Finland's third-largest inland boating club by membership and the largest on its own waters. The club operates the harbours of Vihola with 273 berths and Siuro with 50 berths, the clubhouse Kerhomaja Ankkuri, and the island base Salomaja on Lake Pyhäjärvi. The offering includes berths, Roope harbour environmental certification, rowing and boating training, Veneilijä and Venepäällikkö courses, and numerous club events from the season opening to the annual general meeting. The club emphasises safety, community, and responsible boating across an extensive water area reaching Hämeenlinna and Sastamala.
History
Nokian Veneilijät ry was founded on 11 April 1978 as a boating association, originally established as a rowing club with recreational boating added later. The home harbour of Vihola has a much older history: as early as 1919, the shoreline was leased to the Neptun company for raft building, and after the Second World War Vihola gradually became a tugboat base with more than five tugs and a shipyard. The last timber floating took place in September 1983, ending over 100 years of Nokia Oy's log-driving operations. After floating ended, Nokian Veneilijät sought a suitable site for pleasure boats and, with support from Nokia Oy's management, secured a lease. The harbour area received a zoning plan for this purpose and later passed to the city of Nokia; a 30-year lease was signed in 1991 and extended in 2019 for another 30 years until 2049. The harbour was developed in several phases mainly through volunteer work. Today the club operates Vihola harbour with 273 berths and 57 rowing-boat storage slots, Siuro harbour with 50 berths, and the island base Salomaja on Lake Pyhäjärvi. According to SPV statistics for 2025, Nokian Veneilijät is Finland's third-largest inland boating club and the largest on its own waters, covering Lake Pyhäjärvi and its upper waters to Hämeenlinna, Sastamala and Hämeenkyrö.
Information
Facilities
Harbours Vihola (273 berths, Roope harbour) and Siuro (50 berths), clubhouse Kerhomaja Ankkuri with sauna and 100-person hall, island base Salomaja with two saunas, grill shelter, pizza oven and berths, septic station, drinking water, electricity points and winter storage
Activities
Recreational boating, rowing, boating and navigation courses, boat inspections, fishing competitions, Nokian Soutu regatta, season opening, Midsummer celebration, family events and club festivities
Youth section
Active children's and youth programmes with Muksumellakka events, Optimist dinghy at Salomaja, and sailing introductions for children
Parking
Yes, only in marked areas
Guest berths
Yes, 2 buoy berths, inquiry possible
Boating license training
Available: 1
Petri Aalto
Spring and autumn, also self-paced in the SPV Campus learning environment