Captain Juha Pokka reminisced of the hectic 3 years of taking possession of Anny von Hamburg and the various projects made onboard, now also accompanied by the not so shiny and spick'n'span all ship shape condition pictures. During this period he also underwent himself major overhaul of his ticker. Crew has come and gone, many have been volunteers and we also received some sponsorship. The home port or 'base' has also changed from the initial Helsinki to Ekenäs and most recently to Mariehamn as it has become clear that she needs to be where the action is and not where it is comfortable for us. Anyway, without further ado I give the word to Captain himself.
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Dear friends & sailors!
This is a summary log and some observations of Anny von Hamburg's refit, repairs and improvement carried out during my stewardship of her from Feb 2023 - Sept 2026.
The following story serves as either encouragement or a warning for those who desire acquiring a sailing tall ship.
I have listed some of the repairs made and the work done to sort out the ship's systems—such as electrical, air conditioning, and piping layouts—restoring them to working order or replacing them entirely.
Giving an old vessel the true appearance of a sailing ship requires masts and booms; this is what makes the ship recognizable as a sailing vessel.
Then came the various components needed for the ship to head out to sea under her own power, mainly the engine and propulsion.
Open main deck
Old rigging stored ashore
Fuel lines
Gotta start somewhere
Captain Juha taking inventory
Salon
Foredeck and windlass
Taking onboard rigging bits
Activating ‘Anny’s’ engine room:
Oil and filter changes for the generators; freeing up and reactivating seized diesel fuel pumps. Then followed the same procedure for the main engine.
Quickly reviving the navigation and "hotel" (domestic) electrical systems.
Filling the tanks with fuel and starting the engines.
She works!
Rigging:
Inspection and inventory of the old rigging in Hamburg.
Moving ‘Anny’ from Hamburg to Wischhafen (Süderelbe) and loading stored materials onto ‘Anny’, sails, wire rigging, ropes, spars, and other reusable components.
This then followed the relocation to Kiel and, finally, to Suomenlinna under her own power.
Meanwhile: trekking through old larch forests to select timber for the masts and planning their transport from Miehikkälä to Suomenlinna.
‘Anny’ arrived in Finland after May Day 2023, with the mast timber waiting for her.
Cleaning and varnishing deck structures.
Working on the masts from June 1st to October 7th. Painting, varnishing, and washing of deck areas; refurbishing interior surfaces.
Underway on her own power
Anny von Hamburg in
Navigation lights working
Anny von Hamburg at
All random gear onboard, mostly rigging
Delivery crew in Kalmar
Winter 2023–2024
Assessment of HVAC systems and restoration of the EVAC toilet system.
Cleaning deck storage lockers; washing, cleaning, and painting the sail locker.
Replacing the ceiling panel of the saloon hatch.
Installation of a fireplace in the saloon.
Dry-docking at Suomenlinna: 2024/4
Hull cleaning, ultrasonic thickness gauging, and painting;
Inspection of sacrificial anodes.
Installation of sails and running rigging.
Restoring the cold room and freezer to working order.
Test sail to Tammisaari and a late-summer voyage to Åland.
Identifying deficiencies and learning the electrical system.
Restoring the anchor windlass, welding brake bands and tracing electrical connections making it again fully operational.
Installing air conditioning in the engine room and assessing deck structures for rot damage.
Servicing and resealing the clutch hydraulic pump, provisional fix.
Hugging future mast in Miehikkälä
New masts being put together
New masts
New masts being floated to yard
Mast house sanded
Store painted
Basket of rigging
The warming 'heart' of Anny in the salon
Winter in Helsinki
Main salon dining table set
Anny von Hamburg with partial rig
Refit crew
Sailing with rigging
Sailing with rigging
Some paint work is completed
Completed paint works
Anny von Hamburg at Halkolaituri
Summer in Kiel with Eye of the Wind
Anny von Hamburg in Mariehamn
Labeling/ coding engine room piping and servicing/ activating all electrical units.
Repairing the automatic shaft greaser.
Upgrading navigation and radar systems that were sponsored by a local provider.
Replacing safety equipment, (liferafts).
Summer sailing the Baltic Sea for 3 months and participating in tall ship events in Germany and Poland followed by a visit to Helsinki in the autumn.
Refurbishing crew quarters, new throne and refreshed furniture and amenities etc.
2025–2026:
The year started by an overhaul of the maintenance man. 😁 3 months of recovery after complete service of the ticking "fuel pump."
In the spring: sanding and varnishing the railings, and installing a bilge water transfer pump.
Transporting 250 liters of bilge water to a waste collection facility.
Installing an alarm unit (bilge and temperature) in the engine room.
Repairing the engine room floor plating.
Servicing the platforms and ladders at the railing gates.
Installing a lifting beam and lifting arm for the ladders.
Replacing the hydraulic pump for the hydraulic clutch.(new one)
Painting the exterior hull and completing the anchor winch maintenance.
Rigging and test-hoisting the staysails and topsails, finally being able to use the 580sq.m. of sail.
Installing spreader leads up to the hounds.
Re-conditioning the gangway arrangement to original
In addition to all the above, one must account for the preparatory work and final cleanup.
Cleaning and maintaining painting equipment.
Tool maintenance and replacement.
Oil changes, plus procuring paints and necessary painting tools.
Future
Next step is a shipyard visit to Turku, Finland.
Inter mediate survey including antifouling maintenance, propeller greasing and zinc- anodes for anti-corrosion protection. Estimated 2 days work. On the hard in the morning and splashing after 48 hours.
All photos provided by Juha Pokka.
Engine room piping
Engine room piping
Carpentry works
Bit of wood rot
Deckhands up in the rig
Anny von Hamburg in Farjsund
The year started by an overhaul of the maintenance man. 😁 3 months of recovery after complete service of the ticking "fuel pump."
In the spring: sanding and varnishing the railings, and installing a bilge water transfer pump.
Transporting 250 liters of bilge water to a waste collection facility.
Installing an alarm unit (bilge and temperature) in the engine room.
Repairing the engine room floor plating.
Servicing the platforms and ladders at the railing gates.
Installing a lifting beam and lifting arm for the ladders.
Replacing the hydraulic pump for the hydraulic clutch.(new one)
Painting the exterior hull and completing the anchor winch maintenance.
Rigging and test-hoisting the staysails and topsails, finally being able to use the 580sq.m. of sail.
Installing spreader leads up to the hounds.
Re-conditioning the gangway arrangement to original
In addition to all the above, one must account for the preparatory work and final cleanup.
Cleaning and maintaining painting equipment.
Tool maintenance and replacement.
Oil changes, plus procuring paints and necessary painting tools.
Anny von Hamburg in the archipelago
Hoisting sails
Anny von Hamburg at Halkolaituri
Main sail up first time in many years
Anny von Hamburg in dock
Anny von Hamburg decks being washed
Odds and ends for the windlass
Anchor windlass serviced and painted
Conclusion
Many of the tasks at the shipyard were carried out by external contractors, but there was also plenty of help from volunteers, as well as a one-man "first aid" repair unit.
The whole "revival" process was made easier by the documentation for all the ship's systems found in the vessel's archived binders.
I wouldn't recommend purchasing an old ship to anyone who lacks technical expertise or experience in refurbishing vintage equipment—or, for that matter, a genuine interest in the subject.
Nor to anyone who cannot personally find the time to physically participate in routine maintenance or repair tasks. There are also a keen interest and enthusiasm for the old ship’s history, and a desire to restore it to a condition that will bring joy to younger generations in the future.
As a vessel, the ‘Anny’ is quite the survivor. Her history reveals this and it must be acknowledged that behind this survival there has always been an individual—or a group of people—to whom the ‘Anny’ has appealed, whether as a cargo vessel or a sailing ship.
Every day that passes eventually becomes her future history.
Upper sail rigged
Future
Next step is a shipyard visit to Turku, Finland.
Inter mediate survey including antifouling maintenance, propeller greasing and zinc- anodes for anti-corrosion protection. Estimated 2 days work. On the hard in the morning and splashing after 48 hours.
All photos provided by Juha Pokka.
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