The artefact of the month for February is a fur-lined coat that was used on icebreaker Tarmo. The icebreaker was built by the W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co shipyard in Newcastle (upon Tyne), England. Upon its completion in 1907, Tarmo was the third icebreaker of the Grand Duchy of Finland. Tarmo ploughed through ice until 1970 but, for its final years, under the name Apu.

Fur-lined coat that shows signs of use

The lining of the long coat is made of fleece and the outer fabric is woollen cloth. The collar is black fur. The coat originally had a total of eight buttons in two rows, of which four golden lion buttons remain.

Judging by the various signs of wear, the coat has seen heavy use. The front section features sizeable stitches with light-coloured thread, which have possibly been added to stitch a tear in the lining. The cuffs and pocket openings are frayed. The fur lining has also been torn, necessitating a light-coloured piece of fleece to patch it up.

The fur-lined coat was used for watch duty on Tarmo's bridge. The years during which the coat was used are not known. The working conditions were demanding, and work clothes were used until they fell apart. On the ship, the crew washed their own lighter work clothes. Based on the dirt marks, the fur-lined coat was not washed very regularly. Then again, its main purpose was to keep the wearer warm in the freezing winds of the bridge.

The fabric covering the fur lining is woollen cloth, the lining is fleece. Photos: Matti Huuhka, Finnish Heritage Agency.

Working in winter conditions

In the early decades of the last century, the crew members of icebreakers worked on an open bridge. The weather could be absolutely freezing and the wind often made the cold even more biting. In addition to this, snowfall obstructed visibility, so the working conditions were at times extremely harsh.

A mate, who served as the officer of the watch, was always present on the bridge, along with a few deckhands to handle shifts at the helm and on watch. The shifts were between two and four hours long. The captain was on the bridge whenever needed, especially during poor visibility or difficult assistance task.

The foremasts of larger icebreakers featured a crow’s nest. The lookout climbed into the crow’s nest during low-lying fog, for example, because visibility from up high was better than from the bridge. Tarmo originally had two crow’s nests, but the other one was removed in the 1920s.

Assisting fishers and seal hunters

In addition to icebreaking duties, Tarmo was sometimes requested to assist fishers or seal hunters who had been stranded on a drifting ice floe or found themselves icebound. Wintertime fishers often had villagers, horses, sleighs and small cabins on runners with them on the ice. Those in trouble were brought onboard and transported either ashore or on firm ice. Tarmo’s crew was accustomed to rescuing horses from ice floes. The ship boasted hoisting harnesses sewn from tarp which were slipped under the horse’s stomach for lifting.

In 1930, Tarmo was called for its largest rescue operations ever. During a night in March, 230 fishers and 125 horses were lifted onboard from the ice covering the Gulf of Finland off the shore of Koivisto.

Kerttuli Hoppa

Photos

Icebreaker Tarmo circa 1929. The foremast still features both crow’s nests. The Finnish Heritage Agency’s photo collections, the Maritime Museum of Finland’s photo collection.

Captain Hjalmar Palme on the Tarmo bridge in winter 1930. The Finnish Heritage Agency’s photo collections, Historical Picture Collection, Photography Studio Pietinen’s collection. Photograph by Pietinen.

Tarmo rescuing fishers and their equipment in March 1932. The Finnish Heritage Agency’s photo collections, the Maritime Museum of Finland’s photo collection.

Further information

Laurell Seppo 1992. Höyrymurtajien aika. Historiikki höyrykäyttöisten valtionjäänmurtajien aikakaudesta. Publication of the Finnish Maritime Administration.

Virtual tour of the icebreaker Tarmo

Artefacts of the icebreaker Tarmo in the Finna search service

The museum ship icebreaker Tarmo is part of the collection of the Maritime Museum of Finland. In summer, you can explore it in Kotka moored at the pier of Maritime Centre Vellamo.