In the Polish magazine Żeglarstwo, their edition 7-8/2024 (volume no 13), there is an article from author Silke Brandt & translated and edited by Krzysztof Romański featuring Anny von Hamburg.
I have now finally received a copy of the magazine and translated the article in full with the help of uncle Google. Click to enlarge pictures.
Index page
Editorial
On Christmas Day...
Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors, brought gifts in the form of foreign texts in this edition. For the first time, we publish articles written especially for you by foreigners.
Akira Aubert from France remembers the Berque Twins, sailors and life's rebels who, against common sense, crossed the Atlantic more than once. How it was possible to succeed at all is explained by Janusz Ostrowski in his otherworldly article about Polynesian navigation. The whole thing is concluded by Adam Hamerlik, who announces the construction of a replica of the currach, which this time, not Santa Claus, but Brendan, like the French brothers, crossed the Atlantic, and scientists still cannot reach an agreement on the feasibility of this feat,
Silke Brandt, a German writer and editor with Polish roots who has been living in Finland for years, presents an over 100-year-old sailing ship that was saved by two enthusiasts from the Far North, who plan to use it for sailing cruises from next year, as well as expand the fleet of ships participating in The Tall Ships Races.
The festive atmosphere will be further heated by Tamara Szermalarstwo sprinkled with music and Marek Słodownik, who asked the Vendée Globe players about spending this special time away from their families.
I wish you fascinating reading, happy holidays and prosperity in the new year.
With sailing greetings,
Piotr Jodkowski
Page 60
"Anny von Hamburg", or how the Finns saved a German sailing ship
Silke Brandt, translation by Krzysztof Romański
Anny von Hamburg's magnificent three-masted gaff schooner almost spent her 110th birthday alone, abandoned in a German port - with a steel hull riddled with rust, a wheelhouse green with mold and rotting rigging.
Page 61
Through more than many years of interrupted service, "Anny" sailed under banners from Germany, through Russia, Swedish, to Finnish. She also motored with an engine. Her career, full of ups and downs, is full of interesting events. She usually crossed the cold waters of the Baltic Sea transporting sand or gravel, but sometimes she also carried passengers in the tropics. Towards the end of the last decade, worse times came for her. The German owners planned for the ship to join the fleet of Fair Transport cargo sailing ships, but due to financial reasons the investment did not come to fruition.
The future of Anny, tied up on strings, was looking very bleak, and here the Finnish captains come into play: Juha Pokka and Jan Rautawaara. Two friends who have shared a passion for traditional sailing for three decades, set themselves the goal of not only restoring the schooner to its former glory, but also to do this in less than a year in time for Anny's anniversary. The gentlemen used their experience gained as shipowners of several other ships. Thanks to their hard work, Anny von Hamburg was able to celebrate her 110th birthday tied alongside the quay in the heart of Helsinki, where she docked right after the traditional Tervasaaren Tynnyri sailing ship regatta. Dressed up with festival flags that flew proudly on her new masts, and the warm glow of the fireplace installed there illuminated the salon. Moreover, the entire ship shone like never before after the renovation.
JOURNEY INTO THE PAST
Anny was built as one of seven sisterships. In 1914, the ship was built by the C. Lühring shipyard in Hammelswarden, near Oldenburg in Germany. The client, Diedrich Hasseldieck, did not get to enjoy his ship for long. The arrival in St. Petersburg with her first cargo coincided with the outbreak of World War I and the ship was requisitioned by the Russians. She did not return to Germany until 1925. First, she was rechristened "Hanna", and then she changed, not only her name, but also her type. As "Kurt Both", she luckily survived World War II, and in 1950 she was extended by 8 meters. The extension of the hull was accompanied by a gradual reduction of the rig, until finally in 1952 the vessel became a typical coastal motorship. In 1957, she left her first homeland again, this time moving to Sweden. For 230,000 Deutsch marks, she was bought by the Abrahamsson brothers from Edssundshall and changed her identity once again - she was given the name "Ringö". Six years later, the ship moved to Finland. She ended up in the hands of the Grönqvist family from Vålax. The Finnish shipowners used her mainly to transport gravel. When the market for this trade passed, then in 1979 Anna returned to Sweden. However, it was not a triumphant return. After a fire destroyed part of the deck, the ship was laid up for a longer time in Karlskrona. There, a German (Joachim Kaiser*) spotted her and (Jörn Deistler*) decided to bring her home. At the Brockmüller shipyard, the ship was meticulously restored according to the original plans and once again became a 38-meter sailing ship, and the name "Anny" reappeared on her bows, to which the term "von Hamburg" was added to avoid misunderstandings. The schooner began to regularly participate in the Kieler Woche and Hanse Sail, and after a second general overhaul in Wilhelmshafen in 1999, she also sailed on charter cruises in warmer, more exotic waters from the Mediterranean to (...continued->)
*) note by editor.
Pictures from above & credits:
Kurt Both/ photo Robert Boman, Sjöhistoriska Museet-Stockholm
Ringö/ photo Sjöhistoriska Museet-Stockholm
Anny von Hamburg/ Juha Pokka
Page 62
...Caribbean. After 2018, Anny's star began to fade, and the plan to convert her into a cargo sailing ship failed.
Fortunately, these troubles are now a thing of the past. The new shipowners began operating Anny with a sentimental journey to important places from the ship's past. I had the opportunity to take part in this autumn cruise, during which we visited Vålax, her former home port. It is now a popular town located on one of the islands in the Finnish archipelago in the southwestern part of the country. This Swedish-speaking town was once the base for a large fleet of coasters transporting sand to various ports of Finland and other ports in the northern Baltic Sea.
News of Anny's visit spread quickly, and although today the vessel looks completely different, it is not a black motor ship but a white sailing ship, dozens of elderly people visited us on the quay, sharing memories and family stories. The visitors were delighted to see how our Ringö was looking and listened attentively to the proud owner, who was talking about the arduous renovation. Juha Pokka also emphasized that he has special ties to the locale. It was here that he began his sea career 35 years ago.
FIRST REGATTA
As part of the first cruise after the renovation, the "Anny von Hamburg" also took part in the annual Tervasaaren Tynnyri regatta. This is a one-day race off the coast of Helsinki, in which only traditional sailing ships, original or reconstructed, can compete. The event, organized for the first time in 1988, is the ceremonial ending of the Helsinki Herring Festival (Silakkamarkkinat), which has been held - practically unchanged - in the South Harbor for almost 300 years. Its history is longer than the capital city of Helsinki. It is one of the largest open-air events in the country. Each year, the event attracts tens of thousands of visitors. Fishermen sell their products straight from their boats, and on the last day of the fair, their vessels give way to sailing ships that can be visited.
Tervasaaren Tynnyri translates as "Barrel from Smolna Island" (this is a an island within the administrative borders of Helsinki, where for years there were tar warehouses), because an empty barrel of local schnapps is awarded to the winning crew as a symbolic cup. Every year, about 15 ships take part in the competition, mainly from Finland, but among the participants you can also see ships from abroad. A regular guest is, among others, the Estonian two-masted ship Hiiuingel, and in 2020 the beautiful "Arktika" from Iceland arrived. The regatta uses a numerical system, so smaller vessels can also take part, such as the pilot boat designed by Colin Archer, Pitkäpaasi (built in 1898) and Vera-Violetta (built in 1975 based on plans from 1893), traditional Baltic galleys such as Astrid (built in 1947), Inga-Lill (built in 1948), Vivan of Kotka (built in 1947-49), as well as larger three-masted sailing vessels: the gaff schooner Kathrina (also built in 1947-49) and Svanhild (built in 1948). As a rule, Joanna Saturna, well-known in Poland, does well, as does Albanus from Mariehamn in the Åland Islands, which triumphed for the second time in a row this year. Tervasaaren Tynnyri is always held at the end of the official season and often takes place in strong autumn winds. Two weeks after the regatta, part of the fleet enters the dry docks of the Suomenlinna fortress for maintenance work. Other ships stay the winter in the heart of Helsinki port, at the Halkolaituri jetty which is a wooden T-shaped pier (continued...->)
Pictures from above & credits:
Under sail/ Silke Brandt
Anny von Hamburg/ Juha Pokka
Page 63
...that was built in 1891. It is managed by the organization Helsingin Purjelaivasatamayhdistys RY (Finnish: Helsinki Sailing Port Registered Association).
NEW RIGGING
The previous German owner, despite his declared love for the ship, did not take care of her proper storing during the lay-up. The dismantled standing rigging lay uncovered on the deck for three years, at the mercy of capricious weather. When Juha Pokka and Jan Rautawaara bought "Anny", the rotten masts, booms and gaffs were useless. The new owners had to quickly change their plans and instead of Germany, carry out the necessary repairs in Finland. After motoring the hull across the Baltic, they began looking for suitable building material to recreate the rigging. After several weeks of unsuccessful searching, they accepted the invitation of the owner of the forest located in Miehikkälä, north-east of Kotka. With backpacks and tents, they wandered through the forest until they found the larches they needed. The measurements were taken in the traditional way, first visually, then by... hugging. The best type of tree for a mast is one whose trunk an adult man can hug by three-quarters. After selecting the appropriate specimens, they were cut down and transported to the shipyard on the island Suomenlinna, located near the center of Helsinki. There, in the 18th century Viapori dock, one of the oldest in Europe, the renovation of Anny took place. Locally, an extremely experienced rigger, with the help of Juha Pokka, made a new bowsprit, three masts, booms and gaffs. The metal parts of the rigging, the standing stays and shrouds did not have to be renewed. They only had to be refitted, cleaned and painted.
HOW TO SAIL
A large steel hull and a considerable 300-ton displacement make "Anny" brave, agile and great on the waves. The wide deck provides enough space even during several hours of voyages with large groups of passengers. The rigging was designed in the simplest and clearest way possible, making operating the sailing ship a pleasure. The slender larch booms and gaffs are surprisingly light, so three people are enough to hoist the main sails. On other gaff schooners of similar size, this task requires at least six pairs of hands.
Pictures from above & credits:
Tree hugger/ photo Juha Pokka
Towing trunks for future masts/photo Juha Pokka
Pages 64-65 (see up top the 2 pages spread)
Page 66
TECHNICAL DATA
Sails: gaff schooner
Home port: Ekenäs
Year of construction: 1914
Hull material: steel
Displacement: 300 t
Total length: 38 m
Width: 7 m
Draft: 2.65 m
Number of masts: 3
Mast height: 28 m (from deck)
Sail area: 520 m²
280 HP Deutz engines
Auxiliary engines: 2x 46 HP Perkins
Crew: 5 persons
Passengers: 10 persons
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Following the example of Dutch captains, Juha Pokka prefers to communicate using hand signals. In this way, he issues commands during all maneuvers, including mooring and leaving port. Calm and clear gesticulation prevents confusion, does not cause nervousness, and can evoke magical associations in outside observers. Of course, provided that someone from the side even notices that the commands are being given.
The spacious crew cabin contains four berths, a table and a toilet. The ship also has five double cabins with bathrooms.
In the saloon, a lot of space is taken up by two large tables, chairs and benches, but the wood-burning fireplace attracts the most attention. The walls are decorated with archive photos of "Anny" and memorabilia collected over many years of sailing. The conditions are not luxurious, but both children and seniors feel good here, which we had the opportunity to see during our first cruises.
A BRIGHT FUTURE
Sailing around the Finnish archipelago is just the first chapter in the new story of "Anny". Juha Pokka, who practically lives on board, wants her deck to be bustling with life all year round. In the near future, he intends to join the Tall Ships Races racing family, sail all over the Baltic Sea, and there are also plans for an expedition to the Atlantic along the coast of Scotland, crossing the Caledonian Canal and reaching the Hebrideans. In the low season of sailing, Anny, moored in the home port of Ekenäs (not to be confused with Ekenäs in Sweden, where the General Zaruski was built), is being transformed into a bed & breakfast venue, offering local youth the opportunity to gain work experience. Every Sunday, local residents can drop in for a "Captain's brunch", prepared by Juha according to his own recipe.
However, Anny von Hamburg will not spend the entire winter at the quay. The shipowners, operating as Nordic Expedition Sailing Society, came up with the idea of Arctic-style cruises to the edge of the Baltic ice. Polar sailing is gaining popularity. More and more people travel to Antarctica and the Arctic, which disrupts the natural harmony of these areas. However, expeditions of a similar nature can be organized in Finland, claims Juha Pokka, explaining that in his country there are no icebergs or polar bears, but there is a frozen sea, a lot of ice, snow and untouched places, such as Lapland, where you can sail to hike, admire the views and ski. Will the idea of winter cruises aboard Anny von Hamburg catch on? Time will tell.
SILKE BRANDT
Is a German writer, translator, editor and sailor of Polish origin living in Helsinki. She has written over 50 short stories. She has published in Nowa Fantastyka, Faber & Faber and Hippocampus Press, among others. Her latest story, "SOS barquentine Estonia", was included in the maritime anthology, Odmęt, published by Planeta Czytelnika. As a sailor, she has worked on many Dutch, German and Finnish sailing ships.
For more information silkebrandt.weebly.com
Pictures from above & credits:
Anny von Hamburg/ photo Kristoffer Aberg
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