Ruda could spend the summer of 2011 peacefully happy in Saimaa because her winter berth was already organised. She spent the cold Finnish winter at the Wooden Boat Centre in Kotka, home of the of the 12m class yacht Blue Marlin, and many other extraordinary and beautiful wooden boats.
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Ruda’s crew were a little alarmed on their return in the spring to find her still surrounded by snow, and next to a frozen sea. Spring arrives quickly in Finland however, and it was soon warm enough to enable the almost-thawed crew to smarten up her paint and varnish, and get her back afloat to start her 2012 cruise.