Forum Marinum

[finnfan]

I have just got back from a visit to Finland where I visited Forum Marinum in Turku. If you are ever in that part of the world it is very well worth a visit. As well as the indoor maritime museum, there are four full sized warships to visit. The minelayer Keihassalmi and the corvette Karjala are afloat and on the quayside are the fast patrol boat Nuoli 8 and for my money the icing on the cake is Taisto 3, a licence built Italian Baglietto type MAS boat from 1943. The Taisto class boat is under a shelter which makes it impossible to photograph it broadside, but steps up let you see the deck and wheelhouse detail. The Taisto class seem to have had a larger wheelhouse than the Baglietto boats and the torpedoes are located slightly differently. A 20mm Madsen is used instead of an Italian weapon. By the way the aviation museums in Finland are just as good.

Don

Taisto class boat

Nuoli 8

[Francisco P. de Nanclares]

Well, since you are a Finnish Navy fan, here is to you:

Minelayer Uusimaa at Ferrol estuary as part of the NATO exercise Loyal Mariner 08.

[finnfan]

Thanks Francisco - a super picture. She has had a repaint more appropriate to the Mediterranean since I saw her in 2006 wearing splinter camouflage of browns and greys.