Vridni

Vridni is a steel screw steamer tug, built in Rijeka, Croatia (at that time Fiume, Austria-Hungary),[3] in 1894, as Légy,[lower-alpha 1] by Howaldtswerke's subsidiary Howaldt & Co, as the first newbuild[4] of the then new shipyard in Brgudi, Rijeka (nowadays 3. Maj Shipyard), and one of the two tugs built for the shipyard's own use.[5] The reciprocating steam engine was made in Kiel, Germany.

Vridni in Split, Croatia, as seen on April 10, 2013
(The wooden superstructure missing)
History
Name:
  • 1894-1922: Légy
  • 1922-1944: Doket
  • 1946-1962: Omladinac
  • 1962-onwards: Vridni
Owner:
  • 1894-1902: Howaldt & Co., Rijeka (Fiume)
  • 1902-1922: Impressa Triestina di Tomasso Cossovich & Ci., Trieste
  • 1922-1944: Pomorsko tehničko industrijsko poduzeće d.d. "Marjan" Split
  • 1946-onwards: Brodosplit-Shipyard Ltd.
Builder: Howaldtswerke's subsidiary Howaldt & Co. Rijeka (Fiume)
Yard number: (Should be) 1
Launched: 1894
Completed: 1894
Status: Memorial ship
General characteristics
Class and type: Harbor tug[1]
Tonnage: 10.7 DWT[2]
Length:
  • Loa 12.80 m (42 ft 0 in)[1]
  • Lpp 12.00 m (39 ft 4 in)[1]
Beam: 2.90 m (9 ft 6 in)[1]
Height: 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in)[1]
Draught: 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in)[1]
Installed power: 33 kW[1]
Propulsion:
Speed: 6 kn
Steam boiler of Vridni. Dimensions: Diameter 1.40 m; Length 1.10 m.[1] Now stored at Brodosplit Shipyard, Split.
Reciprocating steam engine of Vridni. Height: Approx. 1 m. Made in 1894 by Howaldtswerke, Kiel. Now an exhibit at Croatian Maritime Museum, Split.
Steel four bladed propeller of Vridni, painted white. Diameter: 900 mm[1]

History

In 1902 Howaldt & Co. ceased to exist, and Légy was sold to Impressa Triestina di Tomasso Cossovich & Ci. of Trieste.[4] In 1922 the vessel arrived in Split, Croatia, where, under the name Doket, she served as a harbor tug until 1932. Then the ship was used for tugging some lesser tows in Split Shipyard (now Brodosplit Shipyard Ltd.). In World War II, the ship is, since the autumn of 1943, included into the Yugoslav Partisan Navy, hiding from dangers of German aviation at coves and bays of the island of Hvar. In that same year the ship participated in the rescuing of the steamer Gruž in waters surrounding the island of Brač.[6] During the bombing of Split, on August 30, 1944, the vessel suffered damage, and was later repaired in Vis.[7] Afterwards, the ship served as one of the auxiliary cargo ships of the Partisan Navy, until the end of the war.[6]

After World War II, the ship was firstly renamed Omladinac (not known exactly when), then Vridni in 1962; serving in Brodosplit Shipyard until 1969.[8]

Today, Vridni is, being in a relatively poor condition, and devoid of engine,[lower-alpha 2] exposed at a parking lot of Brodosplit Shipyard, apparently awaiting a restoration to a museum ship.

Description and features

A metal plate nowadays found at the superstructure says: "HOWALDTSWERKE, KIEL, 1894, No 452" but this is, by all odds, not the original plate,[1] since the yardnumber 452 was, reportedly, a pontoon "A" built in 1906,[4]

The Nautical Almanac of the Ministry of Transport of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia for the year 1930[3] states that Doket is a steam tug with propeller, made of steel, speed 8 knots, draught 1.5 m, length 12.5 m, beam 2.8 m, height 1.5 m. grt 11, nrt 5, nhp 10, ihp 50. Place of built Rijeka (Fiume) 1894. Minimum crew 2. Maps 24. Owner: Maritime Technical Industrial Company d.d. "Marjan" Split.[lower-alpha 3][7]

Construction

The ship is characterized by a rather unusual cylindrical form, especially at the underwater part, which resulted in good maritime traits (the waves created by sailing were, allegedly, "almost invisible"[1]). The construction is of a riveted steel, with wooden deck, metal funnel and wooden superstructure (now missing).[6]

Propulsion

The cylindrical coal-fired steam boiler and reciprocating steam engine, producing maximum power of 45 ihp (33 kW), occupied the boiler room and the engine room amidship. The engine powered a four-bladed, high-graded (approximately P/D ~ 1) propeller, of 900 mm in diameter, with extremely narrow blades (of approximately AD/AO ~ 0.2),[1] allowing the speed of some 6 kn.[11] The Scotch-type boiler is 1.40 m in diameter and 1.10 m in length. Relatively large steam dome is 500 mm in diameter and length. The outer sheath of the cylindrical funnel is 540 mm in diameter. The diameter of the propeller axis is 70 mm, and the length of the propeller hub is 110 mm.[1]

Status

The ship is included in the list of cultural properties of Republic of Croatia, under the registry number Z-437.[12]

Miscellany
  • The ship's name Vridni is a Croatian dialectal word[lower-alpha 4] meaning "diligent".
  • The ship's original name Légy is Hungarian word staying for "fly" (the insect).
  • The Brodosplit Shipyard Gazette[13] was named, after the ship, "Vridni".
  • The vessel is among the oldest completely preserved ships in the world.

Notes
  1. According to some sources[2] the ship served in Rijeka under the name Doket, meaning: dock.
  2. The steam engine itself has been disassembled and restored, and is a showpiece at the Croatian Maritime Museum, Split,[9] while the steam boiler is preserved and stored at the Brodosplit Shipyard internal museum.[10]
  3. Pomorsko tehničko industrijsko poduzeće d.d. "Marjan" Split.
  4. As used in Dalmatia, particularly in Split.
gollark: I mean, crossplatform networking yes, UI also sort of yes.
gollark: Roughly!
gollark: Oh, that too.
gollark: > - cross platform> - networking> - ui (literally a progress bar and some text)<@!309787486278909952> So, Rust, Python, potentially even .NET stuff like F#?
gollark: ↑

References
  1. Igor Belamarić: Poznavanje broda, Hrvatski hidrografski institut, Split 2005, ISBN 953-6165-46-5, p. 176-8 (Croatian)
  2. Stjepan Lozo, Gordana Tudor: Počeci splitskog brodostrojarstva/Rossi—prvi hrvatski motori, Hrvatski pomorski muzej, Split, 2006, ISBN 953-97658-5-4 (Croatian)
  3. Pomorski godišnjak za 1930. godinu; Ministarstvo saobraćaja Kraljevine Jugoslavije, Direkcija pomorskog saobraćaja, tiskara Novo doba, Split; p. 116, No 12
  4. Comments on a photo of Vridni at Shipspotting.com
  5. A contribution at "Vlakovi" (a Croatian forum about transport)
  6. Brodosplit Shipyard Press Center Internet pages
  7. A contribution at "Paluba" (a forum about ships)
  8. "Vridni", Brodosplit Shipyard Gazette, Year I, No. 1, June 2006
  9. Reports of the Croatian Maritime Museum, Split: , p. 7; and , p. 2 (Croatian)
  10. Brodosplit Shipyard Office of Public Relations
  11. "Ukorak s vremenom" (Periodical of Marine Engineers Association, Split), No 44, p. 74 (Croatian)
  12. Excerpt from the Registry of Croatian Cultural Properties No. 1/2002 (Croatian)
  13. "Vridni" Brodosplit Shipyard Gazette; online edition archive

Further reading
  • Igor Belamarić: Brod i entropija, Književni krug, Split, 1998, ISBN 953-163-111-5 (Croatian)
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