The importance of shipboard saunas to seafarers on Finnish vessels : A study on sauna culture on board Finnish merchant vessels today

This is a study on the importance of shipboard saunas to the seafarers sailing on Finnish merchant vessels today. The aim of this research was to find out if the shipboard sauna improves the wellbeing of the seafarers on board and what the sauna culture is like on board. The study is based on responses given to a questionnaire that was distributed among Finnish seafarers sailing on Finnish flagged merchant vessels. This thesis consists of theory and research. In the theory part details on the history of saunas both ashore and on board are given and two examples of today’s shipboard saunas are given. In the research part the responses to the questionnaire are analyzed. The conclusion of this research was that shipboard saunas are highly valued by the crews on board. Sauna culture on board reflects the Finnish sauna culture ashore in many ways. Sauna improves the wellbeing of seafarers on board according to their personal experience