Lightship Kemi
The last lightship of Finland
Lightship Kemi was the last lightship that was in use in Finland. It was finished in 1901, in the machine shop Porin Konepaja. Back then, it was an example of a new type of lightship, in which a weather deck provided the crew with sheltered working spaces. Another novelty was the steam engine, which could be used to transport the ship to the station.
Like other lightships, the name of the Kemi has been changed according to the station. Originally it was called Äransgrund, when it was stationed off Helsinki (1901–1921). After that, it was stationed off Rauma and operated under three different names: Relandersgrund (1921–1926), Relanderinmatala (1927–1932) and Rauma (1933–1955). In 1956–1974, the ship served with the name Kemi in the Bay of Bothnia, around 33 kilometres from the outport of Ajos in Kemi.
During its last years, a crew of 12 worked on the Kemi: the captain, two mates, a chief engineer, a carpenter, three seamen, a second engineer, a stoker, a ship hostess, and a cook.
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