To solidify its leadership across European marine markets and scale B2B industrial subcontracting, Finnish boat manufacturer Inha Works Ltd is launching next-generation boat platforms and expanding its manufacturing capabilities. A subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Company headquartered in Raisio, Finland – with production facilities in Ähtäri and Augustów, Poland – Inha Works employs 145 marine professionals across its iconic Buster, Yamarin, and Yamarin Cross brands.
President Tomi Juhola highlighted several 2026 product releases, including a complete redesign of the market-leading Buster L series, rugged center-console variants for the Buster XL and XXL, and the new flagship 10-meter Yamarin Aura Cabin. Complemented by the launch of the Yamarin Aura Lounge at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and double-digit growth in its industrial aluminum subcontracting division, supplying cruise ship structures and fuel tanks, Inha Works continues to integrate smart connected technology via its proprietary Buster Q and Yamarin Q infotainment displays.
Interview with Tomi Juhola, President of Inha Works Ltd.
A brief description of the company and its activities.
Tomi Juhola: Inha Works Ltd has a very long history in manufacturing, starting all the way back in 1841. Nowadays, we’re focusing mainly on leisure boating, but in addition to that we also do subcontracting of aluminium parts and products for various industries. We have an own factory in Ähtäri, Finland, head office in Raisio, Finland and a team also in Augustow, Poland. In total we employ 145 professionals. We’re part of the Yamaha Motor Company.
What are the main areas of activity of the company?
T.J: The main business in leisure boats. We have three main brands: Buster, Yamarin and Yamarin Cross.
Buster is an iconic Finnish aluminium boat brand which has its’ root in year 1955. Buster, being the frontrunner for decades is currently the strongest boat brand in the Nordics and clearly the largest aluminium boat brand in the Europe.
Yamarin is another classic. Yamarin boats have been central to the Nordic glassfiber boat market since 1972. The roots of Yamarin are deeply nested into the history of Yamaha outboards in Finland, and the name comes from combination of Yamaha and Marin. Especially in the Nordic countries, Yamarin brand is extremely well recognized, leading the popular daycruiser segment.
Yamarin Cross is our third and youngest brand. Started in 2011, Yamarin Cross brings out the best of aluminium boats and glassfiber boats. The hulls are made out of durable corrosion resistant aluminium, and the decks are molded out of glassfiber enabling elegantly refined designs. Yamarin Cross line-up consist mainly of bow rider models, with a very popular Yamarin Cross 60 Cabin model as an exception.
Currently, we ship boats throughout Europe, North America and even to Australia. At the same time we have our eyes open for new dealers and new markets.
Finally, the latest addition to our offering has been the B2B business, where we do subcontract of aluminium parts. We do supply e.g. fuel tanks and hulls for other boat builders, very complex large aluminium structures to the world’s largest cruise ships, parts for ATVs etc. This new business is growing double digit numbers year over year, and we’re gaining more momentum every day.
What’s the news about new products/services?
T.J: We’re very active with our boat lineup – right now the hottest novelties are the completely new Buster L series, the rugged center console versions of the Buster XL and XXL series, the new flagship for the Yamarin lineup: Yamarin Aura Cabin and its sister model Yamarin Aura Lounge that was just launched at Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October 2026.
The Buster L series has been the best seller in the Nordic boating market since the 90s. Now, the L series gets a full remake, and we’re offering a compact family boat with even more space and even smarter designs. The L series consists of side console version Buster L1, the center console version Buster Lcc, the twin console version Buster L2 and the twin console version with separate seats Buster Lx. The L series is expected to dominate the Nordic boat markets in 2027.
The Buster XL CC and XXL CC are the new models for the very popular Buster XL and Buster XXL. The new center console design brings more rugged looks, much more floor space and versatility to an exceptionally good performing hull. With the optional side doors and the sprayhood, the customer will not have to give up on the shelter while cruising, but still retain the flexibility of open design.
Last but not least, we introduced early in 2026 a new flagship model for Yamarin. The Yamarin Aura Cabin brings a novel design to the 10 m / 34 ft boat segment with full glass pilothouse, unobstructed views, spectacular panoramic windshield and best in class space in pilothouse and the cabins. Yes, the cabins, as this one pack both lounge style bow cabin and a comfortable mid cabin. The Aura Cabin gets a sister model in 2027 – the new Yamarin Aura Lounge was introduced in US at Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in the end of October 2026.
What are the ranges of products/services?
T.J: For Buster, we offer 28 different models with a possibility to customize with factory options and equipment. The models are based on 9 different platforms. The smallest boat of the range is Buster Mini. Mini is a 104 kg and 3,88 m long easy to handle aluminium boat that can be rowed or driven by outboard engine (electrical and combustion engines provided). The horsepower range of Buster Mini is 4-8 hp. On the other side of the spectrum is Buster Phantom. A 9,47 m long, almost 2,3 tons powerhouse that can be equipped with twin 350 hp outboard motors. These outboard motors push the boat to top speeds around 55 knots, or over 100 km/h.
Yamarin starts at 4,6 m Yamarin 46 SC, that is equipped with Yamaha F40 or F50 engine. The top of the line is Yamarin Aura Cabin, which stretches 10,4 m and has a dry weight of 5700 kg. Thanks to the efficient hull design, we can reach top speeds of over 46 knots. The Yamarin lineup is split into categories: The Open category has two smaller side console versions, The Ride category consists of three bow riders, The Cruise category is the most popular with 5 different day cruisers and finally, the Aura consists of two top of the line models to look up to.
The Yamarin Cross lineup is mainly known for the bowrider models starting from 4,9 m and 50 horsepower engine stretching up to 7,5 meters and 300 horsepowers. In the middle, there is a very popular convinent cabin boat: Yamarin Cross 60 Cabin. All of the Yamarin Cross models are aluhybrid boats, meaning that they combine the aluminium hull with a glassfiber deck.
What is the state of the market where you are currently active?
T.J: The boating market has had a rough patch since the end of COVID uptick. The restrictions on travel and work from home requirements meant that people had more free time and more money to spend locally. This leads to a boom in boat sales, and we too enjoyed an organic sales growth over multiple years.
After the restrictions were over, and Russia attacked Ukraine, the story has been very different. The consumer trust has been low, and each year has brought more economic uncertainty. First with the US tariffs, and then early in 2026 with the war in Iran. Luckily, we are seeing also the resilience of the industry and also the fact that people still enjoy time on the water.
What can you tell us about market trends?
T.J: There has been a long period of change, where the boats are getting bigger and at the same time outboard motors are taking over the stern drives. During the last 10 years, there has been more and more of smart solutions to enable easier control of the boat and less stress for the boaters. Examples of these are e.g. Yamaha HelmMaster EX autopilot and joystick as well as our smart, always connected Buster Q infotainment system.
The lates craze has been adventure boats with stepped hulls. For us, we do believe in more traditional hull and boat design, where we maximize the comfort, pleasure and control of the boat while still maintaining fuel efficiency.
What are the most innovative products/services marketed?
T.J: We have been a frontrunner in connected boating, installing by default smart & connected Buster Q and Yamarin Q systems as standard since 2016. With the always connected smart displays, we can upgrade the user experience and improve it as time goes by.
Our Yamarin Aura Cabin has also received a lot of praise in the press. Clear evidence of the success of the novel ideas is that Yamarin Aura Cabin has been shortlisted for the prestigious Best of Boats award and desired European Powerboat of the Year awards as well as boat show specific awards in Helsinki and Genoa boat shows.
What estimations do you have for the second half of 2026?
T.J: The boat business is a highly seasonal business in the Nordics and also in Europe as a whole. Main season is in spring and summer, and after the August-September, we start focusing on the next boating season: Provide novelties, new options, gather preorders and start producing boats to be delivered to happy customers in summer of 2027. We predict slight growth in our sales for second half, but more than that we predict that we’re busy with building our novelties, so that everyone who wants to have one of those in next summer can get one.
