17. THE CREW AND LIFE AT SEA
The typical crew of a coal-powered steamship could be listed like this until 1960s:
Master
Officers: I Mate, II Mate, III Mate
Engine officers: Chief Engineer, I Engineer, II Engineer
Radiologist
Deck crew: a boatswain, a carpenter, two sailors, two ordinary seamen and two cabin boys
Engine crew: a Donkeyman, three Stokers, three Coal Trimmers
Service staff: a Steward, a Cook, a Captain’s steward, a mess hall boy
The number of the deck crew varied a lot. On average, about 26 people worked on a ship. The crew of the oil tankers in the 1950s could be up to 38 workers.
It was common in the late 19th century sailing ships that the officers and the crew were photographed together. Later phtography was less common on the Nordström company ships. The port times were busy and the crew was less united. Many of the officers were loyal to the company, but the crew could have shorter contracts and changed often. The book of the Nordström company presents 60 Masters of the Nordström company. Some of them were born in Loviisa or were settled down to Loviisa like Herman Blomberg, Ademar Karlsson, Arvid Knuts, Gunnar Berlin, Eugen Dahlstedt, Hugo Grönstrand, Osmo Lehmuskallio, Per-Erik Weckman, Holmer Sandell, Bror-Erik Himberg, Viljo Muuronen, Sven Henriksson, Bertel Sund and Simo Aarnio.
At its largest, in the end of 1950s, the Nordström company owned 17 ships with approximately 500 employees. Herring fishing temporarily employed a large number of fishermen, at most about 200 people. The shipping company’s own engineering workshop, which could employ up to a hundred employees, was responsible for the maintenance and repairs of its ships.
Like today, life at sea was determined by a watch-shift system, in which the day was divided into six four-hour watches: 00-04, 04-08, 08-12, 12-16, 16-20, 20-00. Threre were three men per shift working on the deck and in the engine. After one 4-hour shift one had a 8-hour leave. The mate on watch was responsible for navigation and the engine officers ensured that there was enough steam in the engines. A donkeyman usually took care of the chief engine’s watch. The so called day workers, i.e. the boatswain and the carpenter were busy with the maintenance work and did not take part into the watch-shift system. The service staff responsible for the catering and cleaning worked likewise outside the shift-system.
In the steamship era, the ships travelled at a speed of 7-10 knots and stayed in port for several days, or even longer, depending on the harbor and on the cargo. Port arrangements included a pilot, contact with the port authoroties, mooring and customs operations. The cargo hatches had to be opened and the cargo booms raised for unloading. In the harbor, the deck crew worked on rust removal, painting and other maintenance. The officers had to agree on the cargo and its unloading with the port broker. The stores of provisions were replenished and the private duty-free purchases of the crew had to be sealed in the storage. The new cargo had to be brought on board and the documents had to be taken care of. After loading, all the port and deck work had to be done in reverse order before departure. The tarpaulins over the cargo hatches had to be well-sealed to keep the cargo holds dry.
With motor ships, the composition of the crew changed. Motormen, apprentices and electricians replaced the stokers and coal trimmers. The loading booms were replaced by deck cranes and the wooden cargo hatches by steel hatches. The travel speed increased to 15 knots. With increasingly modern ships, the time in port was shortened and the sailor’s opportunities to visit ports of foreign countries decreased.
The corner with the model ship is dedicated to the shipyard in Valko harbor which was established after the WWII. The Soviet Union demanded of Finland war reparations which was partly paid back by building ships.
17. SHIPBUILDING OPERATIONS IN VALKO FROM 1945 TO 1965
The port operations of Loviisa were relocated to the outer harbor of Valko, situated approximately 7 kilometers south of the city centre, at the turn of the century in 1900. This relocation was necessitated by the shallow waters and congestion at the ports of Laivasilta and Tullisilta. To enhance timber transport in the Lahti region, a new railway was constructed leading to the port. Valko was part of the municipality of Pernaja until 1957.
In 1945, the newly established Valkon Laiva Oy constructed a new shipbuilding yard adjacent to the port of Valko. The primary owners of the company were the wood processing firms Repola-Viipuri Oy and Lahti Oy, which operated a timber warehouse in Valko harbor and held ownership of the railway company Loviisa-Wesijärvi Rautatie Oy. These companies collectively formed the new Rauma-Repola Oy, which was founded in 1952. Subsequently, the shipbuilding yard in Valko was renamed Rauma-Repola, Valkon Telakka.
Between 1945 and 1952, the shipyard in Valko constructed 4 schooners and 64 composite barges as war reparations for the Soviet Union. Finland’s war reparations comprised a total of 90 schooners and 200 composite barges.
Following the completion of war reparations in 1952, shipbuilding persisted in alignment with standard trade agreements with the Soviet Union, as well as with deliveries to domestic and various foreign clients. This series encompassed the construction of fully welded barges ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 tons and river tugs featuring an engine power of 600 horsepower.
In the early 1960s, the primary vessels produced included tugboats and specialized vessels such as harbor icebreakers, survey vessels, road ferries, and pilot boats. By the conclusion of shipbuilding in 1965, a total of 303 distinct vessels had been constructed at the Valko shipyard. In 1958, when the workforce reached its highest point, as many as 700 workers were employed.
17. WAR REPARATIONS BARGES
As per the demands for war reparations from the Soviet Union, Finland was required to provide a total of 200 composite barges, each weighing 1,000 tons, of which 64 were constructed in Valko from 1945 to 1952.
Length 65.94 meters
Width 12.52 meters
Depth 2.23 meters
Additionally, a 2,000-ton lake barge was provided as compensation for war damage.
Following the resolution of war reparations in 1952, 126 one thousand-ton barges and three 2,000 ton barges were delivered from 1953 to 1960 in accordance with bilateral trade agreements.
17. MINIATURE REPLICA OF A WAR REPARATIONS BARGE
The 1,000-ton river barge, delivered to the Soviet Union as a war reparation product, was constructed by Teljän Tehtaat and Reposaari Konepaja (Machine Shop) in the Pori region, Rauma-Raahe Oy in Rauma, and Valkon Laiva Oy in Loviisa, among others. This composite-structured barge, KREVTKA, was delivered to the Soviet Union in 1946. It features wooden sides supported by steel arches, and it has a draft of 1.6 meters.