3. THE PAINTING OF BRIGANTINE ONNI

The text at the bottom edge of the painting has possibly read like this: “Brigantine Onni from Fredrikshamn (Hamina)”. Captain R. Albrecht”.

According to Captain Rainer Albrecht’s memoirs of packet ship Östertjernan, the second eldest son of Captain Fredrik Albrecht, called Robert Albrecht, was appointed master of brigantine Onni from Hamina. In 1855 he returned home, and apparently took this painting with him, as it was found in the attic of a house by Mariankatu in Loviisa in the end of 1990’s.

The painting was donated to Lovisa Maritime Museum by Ilmari Elo.

3. ÖSTERTJERNAN – A SWEDISCH FERRY OF THE 19th CENTURY

Packet ship ÖSTERTJERNAN was built in Pietarsaari in Ostrobothnia in 1814. The first captain, and presumably the owner, was Elias Fagerström from Loviisa, who served as the master until his death in 1831. After that the ship was owned by Josef Björksten and the master was Fredrik Albrecht. For many years the ship’s home base was Loviisa, but after her 35th sailing season she was sold to the town of Tammisaari in the autumn of 1849. The next autumn she was badly damaged after running aground in her home waters and was removed from the ships’ register.

The vessel was about 20 meters long, had a capacity of 40 tons and could accommodate 15 passengers. The ship had a crew of 3-5 people. Both the crew and the passengers lived in a small cabin divided by an internal wall and equipped with a fireplace for cooking. There was no latrine on the ship.

ÖSTERTJERNAN made regular trips between Loviisa and Stockholm. During the open water season the ship made five turn-and-return journeys. A one-way trip took generally 1-2 weeks. But the fastest trip took only three days! Occasionally she also sailed to Hamina, Vyborg and St. Petersburg.

The cargo she carried from Loviisa to Stockholm consisted of grain, hides, tallow, hops, flax and hemp, and the return cargo of iron, nails, pots, tobacco, sugar, herring and millstones, among other things.

The drawings of ÖSTERTJERNA were not preserved. Nevertheless, the construction of a new ÖSTERTJERNA was started in 2002 based on the original measure book and a painting. The ship that lies in the Laivasilta pier by the museum was registered for traffic in 2006.