Finland is the first country to issue a commemorative stamp for the Tall Ship's Race 1972. The 50p stamp depicts the Finnish training-ship Suomen Joutsen (exOldenburg, ex-Laennec); the Finnish name means "Finnish Swan". She is a steel ship of 2,299 tons gross, 2,011 net, built by Chant. et Atel. de St. Nazaire, at St. Nazaire, and owned by Soc. Anon. des Armateurs Nantais. The Laennec became the German Oldenburg before coming under the-Finnish-flag. School-ships naturally have large crews, and thus some of the French-built ships with long poops and fo'c's'le heads (which attracted a higher government bounty, because it was paid on gross tonnage), were converted to sea training ships to good purpose.
Finland SG795, 1474. Tristan ? Sea Breezes 9/72
Suomen Joutsen
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aukepalmhof
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Re: Suomen Joutsen
Built as a steel hulled vessel under yard No 30 by Chantiers et Ateliers de St Nazaire, St Nazaire for Sté. des Armateurs Nantais, Nantes, France.
16 October 1902 launched under the name LAENNEC.
Tonnage 2.299 gross, 2.011 net, dim. 316.3 x 40.8 x 17ft. (draught).
Ship rigged.
October 1902 completed.
On her maiden voyage from St Nazaire to Cardiff under command of Captain Turbé did she run down a British collier in the Bristol Channel, damaging her own bow in the process.
At the subsequent enquire, she was found to blame. It would appear that she had not sufficient stiffening at that time, and was in consequence almost unmanageable.
12 December 1912 was she damaged during a storm while discharging a cargo of nitrate at Santander, Spain. She was thrown over on her beam ends against the wharf and she lay down until her yardarms were resting on the wharf, preventing her from going any further. She fouled and damaged a steamer which was berthed inside of her, and tore away some of the piling of the wharf. The repair on the ship took 20 days.
Otherwise her career was uneventful during her period under the French flag in the nitrate trade.
She was laid up in St Nazaire throughout 1921, and later towed to Canal de la Martiniére to await better times.
November 1922 bought by Hans Hinrich Schmidt of Hamburg and renamed OLDENBURG. She was converted in a cargo-carrying training ship. A diesel engine installed of ?hp.
After the refit again used in the nitrate trade.
March 1925 she sailed from Hamburg in ballast for Callao, Peru around Cape Horn, but by trying to round Cape Horn, she lost her main topgallant mast, main topmast and mizzen topgallant mast.
She sailed back to Montevideo under jury rig, arriving there on 2 June. The repair took 5 weeks, and she lost her charter.
She was ordered back to Hamburg which she reached in 78 days.
1928 Was she bought by the Seefahrt Segelschiffs Reed, G.m.b.H. of Bremen on behalf of the North German Lloyd, not renamed and used by the North German Lloyd as a cargo-cadet training vessel.
She was not a very speedy vessel as her passages indicate:
In 1928 she made a passage from Bremen to Valparaiso in 106 days, and homewards from Iquique to Bremen in 97 days.
1929 A voyage from Bremerhaven to Callao took 170 days.
In January 1930, her master send out a SOS in a position of 43 39N 26 25W when her cargo of phosphates shifted, and she was on her beams end, but the crew managed to shift the cargo and got her more or less in a upright position, and she sailed home unaided.
August 1930 sold to the Finish Government for use as a naval training vessel.
Renamed SUOMEN JOUTSEN what means “Swan of Finland”.
She was given a complete refit, as she would not longer carry any cargo, her tweendecks were converted in quarters for 80 to 90 cadets, she got now a row of circular ports in her sides.
Powered by two auxiliary Scandia engines, 400 bhp., speed under engines 6 knots.
The lower hold was refitted in an engine room, bunker tanks for 40 tons of fuel, stores, fresh water tanks and ballast tanks.
Displacement given as 3.200 tons.
Her first voyage under command of the Finnish Navy did give her steering problems in the Northsea, she was towed to Hull, U.K. by a trawler, and after repair she sailed out again in January 1932.
Until 1938 did she have not more mishaps, but the she ran in trouble in the Gulf of Biscay, and did give a call for assistance, a French warship and a tug went to her aid, but the crew on board the SUOMEN JOUTSEN managed to get the vessel under control, and with the warship and tug as escort she sailed into Bordeaux.
During World War II used as an unrigged barrack vessel.
1949 She resumed her training duties, mostly in the Baltic waters.
1956 She made her last cruise under sail, thereafter a base ship for the naval forces.
1960 Refitted and accommodation modernized.
1961 Moored at Abo (Turku), Finland where she then serves as a stationary seamen’s school for the Merchant Services personnel.
As stationary school-ship she could accommodate 150 persons.
1988 In use as a museum ship at the Forum Marinum, Turku.
2009 Still in use as a museum ship at Turku.
Finland 1997 2m80 sg 1474, scott 1046.
Sources : The Bounty ships of France by Villiers and Picard. Sail Training and Cadets Ships by Underhill.
Some web-sites.
16 October 1902 launched under the name LAENNEC.
Tonnage 2.299 gross, 2.011 net, dim. 316.3 x 40.8 x 17ft. (draught).
Ship rigged.
October 1902 completed.
On her maiden voyage from St Nazaire to Cardiff under command of Captain Turbé did she run down a British collier in the Bristol Channel, damaging her own bow in the process.
At the subsequent enquire, she was found to blame. It would appear that she had not sufficient stiffening at that time, and was in consequence almost unmanageable.
12 December 1912 was she damaged during a storm while discharging a cargo of nitrate at Santander, Spain. She was thrown over on her beam ends against the wharf and she lay down until her yardarms were resting on the wharf, preventing her from going any further. She fouled and damaged a steamer which was berthed inside of her, and tore away some of the piling of the wharf. The repair on the ship took 20 days.
Otherwise her career was uneventful during her period under the French flag in the nitrate trade.
She was laid up in St Nazaire throughout 1921, and later towed to Canal de la Martiniére to await better times.
November 1922 bought by Hans Hinrich Schmidt of Hamburg and renamed OLDENBURG. She was converted in a cargo-carrying training ship. A diesel engine installed of ?hp.
After the refit again used in the nitrate trade.
March 1925 she sailed from Hamburg in ballast for Callao, Peru around Cape Horn, but by trying to round Cape Horn, she lost her main topgallant mast, main topmast and mizzen topgallant mast.
She sailed back to Montevideo under jury rig, arriving there on 2 June. The repair took 5 weeks, and she lost her charter.
She was ordered back to Hamburg which she reached in 78 days.
1928 Was she bought by the Seefahrt Segelschiffs Reed, G.m.b.H. of Bremen on behalf of the North German Lloyd, not renamed and used by the North German Lloyd as a cargo-cadet training vessel.
She was not a very speedy vessel as her passages indicate:
In 1928 she made a passage from Bremen to Valparaiso in 106 days, and homewards from Iquique to Bremen in 97 days.
1929 A voyage from Bremerhaven to Callao took 170 days.
In January 1930, her master send out a SOS in a position of 43 39N 26 25W when her cargo of phosphates shifted, and she was on her beams end, but the crew managed to shift the cargo and got her more or less in a upright position, and she sailed home unaided.
August 1930 sold to the Finish Government for use as a naval training vessel.
Renamed SUOMEN JOUTSEN what means “Swan of Finland”.
She was given a complete refit, as she would not longer carry any cargo, her tweendecks were converted in quarters for 80 to 90 cadets, she got now a row of circular ports in her sides.
Powered by two auxiliary Scandia engines, 400 bhp., speed under engines 6 knots.
The lower hold was refitted in an engine room, bunker tanks for 40 tons of fuel, stores, fresh water tanks and ballast tanks.
Displacement given as 3.200 tons.
Her first voyage under command of the Finnish Navy did give her steering problems in the Northsea, she was towed to Hull, U.K. by a trawler, and after repair she sailed out again in January 1932.
Until 1938 did she have not more mishaps, but the she ran in trouble in the Gulf of Biscay, and did give a call for assistance, a French warship and a tug went to her aid, but the crew on board the SUOMEN JOUTSEN managed to get the vessel under control, and with the warship and tug as escort she sailed into Bordeaux.
During World War II used as an unrigged barrack vessel.
1949 She resumed her training duties, mostly in the Baltic waters.
1956 She made her last cruise under sail, thereafter a base ship for the naval forces.
1960 Refitted and accommodation modernized.
1961 Moored at Abo (Turku), Finland where she then serves as a stationary seamen’s school for the Merchant Services personnel.
As stationary school-ship she could accommodate 150 persons.
1988 In use as a museum ship at the Forum Marinum, Turku.
2009 Still in use as a museum ship at Turku.
Finland 1997 2m80 sg 1474, scott 1046.
Sources : The Bounty ships of France by Villiers and Picard. Sail Training and Cadets Ships by Underhill.
Some web-sites.