An acquaintance was raving recently about her summer holiday in Finland’s Turku archipelago. She relished the swims in cold, gin-clear waters, quirky food, long days of sunshine, and star-filled, ink-black nights. Days were spent lounging at mökkis, which are summer cottages as vital to Finnish culture as saunas, in which she partook daily. The reason she was telling me all this was her newfound love of the rugged Scandinavian boats that are the primary means of transport for vacationers. I’m a fan as well, especially after the time I spent aboard flagship models by Sargo and Targa, two brands that are becoming better known to stateside boaters.
These builders have similar origin stories and share decades of success in Finland, each with continued ownership through generations of the same family. Both brands have a range of models: Sargo builds boats between 28 and 45 feet, while Targa’s fleet starts at 23 feet and goes up to 46 feet. Both builders also offer a range of power options from Sweden’s Volvo Penta, their Nordic neighbor.
The flagship
