After the loss of his father, the life of a Klaipėda resident was turned upside down: he and his brother not only take care of the boats, but also offer exotic accommodation.

Jovita Traškevičiūtė, a Klaipeda resident, is the daughter of a sailor, so her life is also inseparable from the magic of the harbor and ships.

Jovita, a third-year student at Klaipėda University, did not expect her life to suddenly turn upside down. She couldn’t even think that after the loss of her father, she and her brother would have to take over two ships, take care of them, invite people to sail on the Curonian Lagoon, the River Dane, or offer an exotic overnight stay on board.

Encouraged to take responsibility

The loss of her father led the young woman and her brother to assume tremendous responsibilities. Justina always believed in her father: the sailor Vytautas Traškevičius, supported all his new ideas, appreciated his dreams. The whole family, and especially she, along with her brother Tom, sincerely enjoyed the purchase of the pleasure boats of the experienced sailor: “Saga Bona” and “Your wind asks”.

The sailor Vytautas Traškevičius promised to organize recreational trips on the new ships, and even for several months he sailed the guests arriving in the port city in summer, invited Klaipeda residents, couples and families who yearned for romance or new impressions to take boat trips.

Jovita did not expect that Dad would be able to enjoy his new purchases, pleasure boats, for such a short time, and he would not only have to study at university, but also take on the challenges of life. Unfortunately, before arriving in this world, we bring our destiny, without exception, and Vytautas Traškevičius, who traveled to Anapilin, came closer to his dream, but could not enjoy it more.

“You never know where life will take you, I really would not have told anyone a year ago that I would immerse myself in the activity of renting pleasure boats, I could not even think that my father would go,” Jovita opened.

No luxury and comfort

Having experienced a great love for boats, a devotion to the magical element of water, the sailor knew how to enchant his entire family. Jovita’s brother, Tomas Traškevičius, who is a pilot, also follows in her footsteps.

Without boats, water entertainment and a great desire to pursue his father’s ideas, visions and dreams, he no longer imagines his life and Jovita. The sailor’s stories about the corners of the visited world, the way of life, the mysterious element of water captivated her as well. Jovita and her brother Tom are now in charge of two pleasure boats, the Saga Bona and the Ask the Wind.

One of them has an exotic accommodation: a mini hotel on board. Saga Bona: transport passengers in summer. At the end of the season, the Saga Bona, which has already risen from the Dane River, awaits next summer, but the motor yacht “Tu vėjo klausk” still awaits the guests.

This boat is located in the heart of Klaipeda, on the Dane River, between the Biržai and Castle bridges. It houses a unique hotel – accommodation on board.

Guests who want to experience extraordinary sensations and dare to stay on this ship are not attracted by luxury and comfort, but by the gentle swaying of the River Dane, the sunlight, the views of the old town, the morning coffee in boat deck.

Native of Sweden

Jovita said the motor yacht, now called “You ask for the wind,” was the birthplace of the Kingdom of Sweden. It was built in 1951 exclusively from oak wood, which has been dried for 20 years to build this boat. Only copper nails were used to edge and fix the board frame.

When it was launched, this yacht was christened “Fisckekuta”. A total of 12 of these ships were built. The first purpose of the boat is to fish in the Baltic Sea. In 1980, the ship was bought by Acko Schanger, a state attorney in the Kingdom of Sweden. Later, the motor yacht received a new name: “Tekla”, which means “Little Lady”. The lawyer bought a small island in the Swedish archipelago and established a summer resort there. The owner tried to adapt the boat to his needs, but without forgetting its authenticity.

The wooden hull was covered with hot plastic with synthetic hairs, a 2.6-liter 6-cylinder Ford Volvo – Penta diesel engine with gearbox, a radar, a radio station and a hydraulic steering wheel was installed. The original sailmast has been preserved, the spokes and inner frame have not been fully closed, and the brass portholes have been assembled.

Now this yacht in Lithuania, named after the exclusive name “Tu vėjo paklausk”, is waiting for tourists and guests. According to Jovita, this season was the first for both pleasure boats since May.

Bed and fall

The girl opened that up when her father turned 58, decided not to travel the world anymore, and the rebellious soul of the sailor wanted to stay at home, right here in Klaipeda. The two ships acquired last fall were supposed to carry passengers in summer and show them the beauty of Klaipeda and its surroundings.

Since Vytautas himself has repeatedly spent the night on his ship, so to provide accommodation on a historic yacht, the idea itself was born naturally.

“Dad was a rare guest at home, he kept saying he liked to stay on board. All they had to do was bathe and wash, and in the evening, back on the ship. This showed that the conditions for spending the night in this motor yacht they really exist. As soon as I raised the offer to stay on board on social networks, I received a lot of interest. This summer, the loads were considerable, especially in August “, opened the interlocutor.

After the loss of her father in July, she and her brother had to take responsibility for two of their father’s ships. Many Lithuanians and foreigners stayed here, but due to the quarantine there were very few. “Of course, the loads are lower in the fall, but the ship is still standing on the bank of the Dane River and receives guests once a week,” the sailor’s daughter said of her ship.

The interlocutor emphasized that if the weather permits, the boat “Your wind asks” is rented all fall or even in winter.

“These boats are the most beautiful memory of my father. He bought them both last fall, put an infinite amount of his handiwork on them, they had to be repainted and fixed. Even in winter, he went to the boats, manipulated something on them, repaired it, scraped it, until we finally saw the result. Dad told me repeatedly that these boats were like a dream come true for life. He loved the sea very much, travel and these boats. He worked as a sailor for 40 years, had a lot of experience and had seen everything in his life. He was a true sailor, dedicated to his profession. I don’t think people need to shove, shake. They need to be encouraged and supported, especially when they are passionate about their activities, seeking to make their ideas, visions and dreams come true. We have heard skepticism from those around us many times. People said with irony: “Why do you have the boats that you came up with here?” He shared memories of his father, Jovita, for whom it is important that skeptics show that his father’s dream can continue.

On the danish river

Both ships – “Saga Bona” and “Pide el viento” are for sailing. The first has capacity for 6 passengers and does not offer accommodation. And “Tu vėjo klausk” has capacity for 11 passengers to sail for pleasure, it has 2 places to sleep.

No trips are organized this fall, only accommodation is provided on board. Those staying must sleep separately, despite the fact that this accommodation is chosen by both young couples and older people. The Saga Bona offers seasonal trips across the Dane River beyond Meridian.

“Many ships can sail on the Curonian lagoon and we can sail passengers on the Dane River, because the draft allows it. We sail towards Drevern via the Wilhelm Canal, other rivers where shipping is possible. We play romantic music as needed to make it more comfortable, we carry at least two passengers, so the Saga Bona is highly admired by couples for swimming “, said the interlocutor about his boats. According to Jovita, the Saga Bona is a mahogany boat manufactured in 1993, also in Sweden.

The first owner bought a mahogany boat, completely restored it, and then sold it to his father, as he himself lives in a small Swedish town with no bodies of water. It was highly praised by both sailors and those who knew about ships. As soon as he set sail for Lithuania, he received a series of compliments.

Believe in daddy’s success

“I was the man who believed in the success of his father from the first days, I supported his dream. As soon as he started working with new ships, I supported him, created an account on a social network, advertised services, collected orders and interacted with clients. I informed my dad about the route and time of the order. And he was involved in more serious things: ship repair, passenger navigation. Now my brother has taken over this activity, ”Jovita mentioned.

The interlocutor was glad that the brother is following in his father’s footsteps, being a pilot. It is currently on the high seas, but in summer it is dedicated to passenger boaters.

“For me and my brother, these boats are a continuation of family traditions, making Dad’s dreams come true. We don’t do this for money, but to preserve memory. Each of our customers is very important to us, so I hope looking forward to spring, a new abundance of orders. I want to improve, create new ideas, learn the lessons of the season, avoid mistakes. I have no plans for the very distant future, but I am sure that we will definitely work with pleasure boats next season. I would like to dispel the thoughts of the skeptics, and looking into their eyes, we have made it, our father’s vision has come true, “said the sailor’s daughter about her future plans.

It is important to be responsible

When asked if there were any clients who left a mess, trash, or if there wasn’t much to do after each night, Jovita assured that all her clients were orderly and cultural.

He is more afraid of one thing: that those on board will not press the buttons in the wheelhouse. An unexpected start can cause problems.

“It is important that people realize that they are spending the night on a boat where they need to be treated with great responsibility,” said the recreation and tourism student, who is preparing his thesis on pleasure boats this year.