Tales of wind, storm and calm.
Work and history of coast guard service.
One third of Finland is bordered by the sea, and the most important route to Finland has always been on water. There is hence a vital need to monitor and secure maritime transport.
The Finnish Coast Guard was established in 1930 to serve as a tool for enforcing the Prohibition Act. The coast guards were to prevent smuggling, keep order and assist those in distress at sea. The functions have become more versatile since then, but the basic duties have remained almost unchanged.
The Coast Guard Museum is part of the main exhibition of the Museum of Kymenlaakso and the result of co-operation between the Finnish Border Guard and City of Kotka launched in 1999.
The Coast Guard Museum houses the largest items in Maritime Centre Vellamo: Beaver and Sääski aeroplanes which took care of airborne guarding of borders, and guard motor boat VMV 11. The other items include a duty room at the Porkkala coast guard station, stored in the museum in its perfect original state, uniforms from different decades, and a hydrocopter in which you can listen to the recorded recollections of coastguardsmen.
There is also a sea rescue simulator and a point providing vital boating safety information.
