43°31′16″N16°26′44″E / 43.52111°N 16.44556°E /43.52111; 16.44556
%3b_Split%2c_2013-04-10.jpg) Vridni inSplit, Croatia, as seen on April 10, 2013 (The wooden superstructure missing) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Builder | Howaldtswerke's subsidiaryHowaldt & Co.Rijeka (Fiume) |
| Yard number | (Should be) 1 |
| Launched | 1894 |
| Completed | 1894 |
| Status | Memorial ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Harbor tug[1] |
| Tonnage | 10.7DWT[2] |
| Length | |
| 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 | 6kn |
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Vridni is a steel screw steamertug, built inRijeka, Croatia (at that timeFiume,Austria-Hungary),[3] in 1894, asLégy,[a] byHowaldtswerke's subsidiary Howaldt & Co, as the first newbuild[4] of the then new shipyard in Brgudi, Rijeka (nowadays3. Maj Shipyard), and one of the two tugs built for the shipyard's own use.[5] Thereciprocating steam engine was made inKiel, Germany.
In 1902 Howaldt & Co. ceased to exist, andLégy was sold to Impressa Triestina di Tomasso Cossovich & Ci. ofTrieste.[4] In 1922 the vessel arrived inSplit, Croatia, where, under the nameDoket, she served as a harbor tug until 1932. Then the ship was used for tugging some lesser tows inSplit Shipyard (nowBrodosplit Shipyard Ltd.). InWorld War II, the ship is, since the autumn of 1943, included into theYugoslav Partisan Navy, hiding from dangers of German aviation at coves and bays of the island ofHvar. In that same year the ship participated in the rescuing of the steamerGruž in waters surrounding the island ofBrač.[6] Duringthe bombing of Split, on August 30, 1944, the vessel suffered damage, and was later repaired inVis.[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 renamedOmladinac (not known exactly when), thenVridni in 1962; serving in Brodosplit Shipyard until 1969.[8]
Today,Vridni is, being in a relatively poor condition, and devoid of engine,[b] exposed at a parking lot of Brodosplit Shipyard, apparently awaiting a restoration to a museum ship.
A metal plate nowadays found at the superstructure says: "HOWALDTSWERKE, KIEL, 1894, No 452" but this is probably 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 theKingdom of Yugoslavia for the year 1930[3]states thatDoket 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.[c][7]
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]
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] TheScotch-type boiler is 1.40 m in diameter and 1.10 m in length. Relatively largesteam dome is 500 mm in diameter and length. The outer sheath of the cylindricalfunnel 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]
The ship is included in the list ofcultural properties ofRepublic of Croatia, under the registry number Z-437.[12]
