Crichton-Vulcan
Encyclopedia
Crichton-Vulcan is an abandoned shipyard
in Turku
, Finland
that once formed the cornerstone of the Finnish shipbuilding industry
. The shipyard is best known for the World War II
coastal defence ship
s and submarine
s it produced.
Shipbuilding at the yard ended by 1976, after a new shipyard had been built in Turku. The old yard was taken over by Turku Repair Yard and used for ship repair until 2004, when they too moved to the nearby city of Naantali
. The shipyard by river Aura
in Turku now lies abandoned
and is the target of vandals
. However, a zoning process is currently under way to turn the site into an upper class residential area, and demolition of the old buildings began in June 2011.
. The first foundry
and metal workshop was established in 1842. After the Crimean War
the workshop was acquired by William Crichton.
Crichton built a new shipyard near the mouth of Aura. Soon a joint-stock company, W:m Crichton & C:o Ab was established, merging smaller shipyards. In 1913 W:m Crichton & C:o Ab went bankrupt, and a new company AB Crichton was established in its place.
Åbo mekaniska verkstads Ab was founded in 1874 and later merged with another workshop that changed its name to Oy Vulcan Ab in 1899. In 1924 the companies were merged into Crichton-Vulcan Oy. It again was merged with Wärtsilä
between 1936 and 1938. In 1966 the name of the shipyard was changed to Oy Wärtsilä Ab Turun telakka.
, the shipyard served the Imperial Russian Navy
. After Finnish independence in 1917, Finland started a program on naval armament. Most of the ships were designed by the Dutch (German) company Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw and built by Crichton-Vulcan.
The shipyard built two coastal defence ship
s for the Finnish Navy
. The 3900 metric ton (displacement) Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen were ordered in 1927 and delivered in 1931 and 1932 respectively.
German U-boat
fleet. Germany
was banned under the Treaty of Versailles
from building submarines, so work was conducted under foreign dummy companies. Three 716 metric ton submarines were ordered in 1927. The submarines were designed by Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw; the design was based on the WW I
German
Type UB III submarine
. The design work and the supervision of the construction was done by Germans. The submarines would serve as a step in the design of the German Type VIIA submarines
.
The Vetehinen, the Vesihiisi and the Iku-Turso were commissioned in 1930 and 1931.
A smaller sub, the 250 metric ton Vesikko, was launched in 1933. It too was designed by Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw, and was the direct prototype of the German Type II submarine
.
In the mid-1970s, Wärtsilä built a new, larger shipyard in Perno
, 8 kilometres (5 mi) from the center of Turku. This new shipyard in now operated by STX Europe and produces the world's largest cruise ship
s, the Freedom class and the Oasis class. After 1984 the old shipyard concentrated solely on ship repair; the last newbuilding was launched in 1976.
In 1986 Wärtsilä's shipbuilding branch merged with the shipyards of the state-owned Valmet
, taking over the Vuosaari shipyard
in Helsinki
. In 1989 the new company, Wärtsilä Marine INC, went bankrupt.
A new company, Masa-Yards (now STX Europe), headed by yard manager Martin Saarikangas
, took over the new shipyard in Turku and Wärtsilä's Helsinki New Shipyard.
Another new company, Turun Korjaustelakka Oy, now Turku Repair Yard Ltd, was established to take over the old repair yard. In 2004 the old yard was abandoned and the company moved to a new shipyard outside the city limits on Luonnonmaa
island in Naantali
. The company now operates the largest dry dock
in the Baltic Sea
area. It is owned by BLRT Grupp
.
, the company, is today one of the leading producers of large diesel engine
s for ships and power plants, producing Wärtsilä-Sulzer
and the Wärtsilä-Vasa engines. The engine factory is also located on the Aura riverbank. In 2004 Wärtsilä decided to move production of its diesel engines from Turku to its factory in Italy
.
Very few ships produced at the old shipyard are still in service:
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
in Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
that once formed the cornerstone of the Finnish shipbuilding industry
Finnish Maritime Cluster
The Finnish Maritime Cluster is a cluster of companies in maritime industries in Finland. In 2001 the total turnover was estimated at 11.4 billion euros with 47,000 people employed in shipbuilding and related industries.-History:...
. The shipyard is best known for the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
coastal defence ship
Coastal defence ship
Coastal defence ships were warships built for the purpose of coastal defence, mostly during the period from 1860 to 1920. They were small, often cruiser-sized warships that sacrificed speed and range for armour and armament...
s and submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s it produced.
Shipbuilding at the yard ended by 1976, after a new shipyard had been built in Turku. The old yard was taken over by Turku Repair Yard and used for ship repair until 2004, when they too moved to the nearby city of Naantali
Naantali
Naantali is a city in south-western Finland, known as one of the most important tourist centres of the country. The municipality has a population of , and is located in the region of Finland Proper, west of Turku....
. The shipyard by river Aura
Aura River
The Aura River is a river in south-western Finland. Its sources are in the town of Oripää, and it flows through Pöytyä, Aura and Lieto before discharging into the Archipelago Sea in the middle of the city of Turku. The total length of the river is about , and it contains eleven rapids, the biggest...
in Turku now lies abandoned
Abandonment
The term abandonment has a multitude of uses, legal and extra-legal. This "signpost article" provides a guide to the various legal and quasi-legal uses of the word and includes links to articles that deal with each of the distinct concepts at greater length...
and is the target of vandals
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
. However, a zoning process is currently under way to turn the site into an upper class residential area, and demolition of the old buildings began in June 2011.
History
The first shipyard in Turku was established in 1732 on the eastern bank of the Aura RiverAura River
The Aura River is a river in south-western Finland. Its sources are in the town of Oripää, and it flows through Pöytyä, Aura and Lieto before discharging into the Archipelago Sea in the middle of the city of Turku. The total length of the river is about , and it contains eleven rapids, the biggest...
. The first foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
and metal workshop was established in 1842. After the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
the workshop was acquired by William Crichton.
Crichton built a new shipyard near the mouth of Aura. Soon a joint-stock company, W:m Crichton & C:o Ab was established, merging smaller shipyards. In 1913 W:m Crichton & C:o Ab went bankrupt, and a new company AB Crichton was established in its place.
Åbo mekaniska verkstads Ab was founded in 1874 and later merged with another workshop that changed its name to Oy Vulcan Ab in 1899. In 1924 the companies were merged into Crichton-Vulcan Oy. It again was merged with Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a Finnish corporation which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include large combustion engines...
between 1936 and 1938. In 1966 the name of the shipyard was changed to Oy Wärtsilä Ab Turun telakka.
Naval ships
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the shipyard served the Imperial Russian Navy
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
. After Finnish independence in 1917, Finland started a program on naval armament. Most of the ships were designed by the Dutch (German) company Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw and built by Crichton-Vulcan.
The shipyard built two coastal defence ship
Coastal defence ship
Coastal defence ships were warships built for the purpose of coastal defence, mostly during the period from 1860 to 1920. They were small, often cruiser-sized warships that sacrificed speed and range for armour and armament...
s for the Finnish Navy
Finnish Navy
The Finnish Navy is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS" simply short for "Finnish Navy Ship"...
. The 3900 metric ton (displacement) Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen were ordered in 1927 and delivered in 1931 and 1932 respectively.
Submarines
The shipyard also built the prototypes for the WW IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
fleet. Germany
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
was banned under the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
from building submarines, so work was conducted under foreign dummy companies. Three 716 metric ton submarines were ordered in 1927. The submarines were designed by Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw; the design was based on the WW I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Type UB III submarine
German type UB III submarine
The Type UB III submarine was a class of U-boat built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine.UB III boats carried 10 torpedoes and were armed with one 88 mm deck gun. They carried a crew of 34 and had a cruising range of around 9,000 miles...
. The design work and the supervision of the construction was done by Germans. The submarines would serve as a step in the design of the German Type VIIA submarines
German Type VII submarine
Type VII U-boats were the most common type of German World War II U-boat. The Type VII was based on earlier German submarine designs going back to the World War I Type UB III, designed through the Dutch dummy company Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag which was set up by Germany after...
.
The Vetehinen, the Vesihiisi and the Iku-Turso were commissioned in 1930 and 1931.
A smaller sub, the 250 metric ton Vesikko, was launched in 1933. It too was designed by Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw, and was the direct prototype of the German Type II submarine
German Type II submarine
The Type II U-boat was designed by Germany as a coastal U-boat, modeled after the CV-707 submarine, which was designed by the Dutch dummy company NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag and built in 1933 by the...
.
Successors
Perno
Perno is a district in the Naantalintie ward of the city of Turku, in Finland. It is located to the west of the city, and is mainly a high-density residential suburb. There is also a large maritime dock located there....
, 8 kilometres (5 mi) from the center of Turku. This new shipyard in now operated by STX Europe and produces the world's largest cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
s, the Freedom class and the Oasis class. After 1984 the old shipyard concentrated solely on ship repair; the last newbuilding was launched in 1976.
In 1986 Wärtsilä's shipbuilding branch merged with the shipyards of the state-owned Valmet
Valmet
' was a Finnish state-owned conglomerate. Valmet was formed in 1951, when the state of Finland decided to group their various factories working on war reparations to the Soviet Union under one company...
, taking over the Vuosaari shipyard
Vuosaari shipyard
Vuosaari shipyard was a shipyard located in the district of Vuosaari in Helsinki, Finland. Built by the Finnish state-owned company Valmet Oy in the 1970s, the shipyard delivered 33 newbuildings and participated in building around 100 other vessels before it was closed in 1987...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. In 1989 the new company, Wärtsilä Marine INC, went bankrupt.
A new company, Masa-Yards (now STX Europe), headed by yard manager Martin Saarikangas
Martin Saarikangas
Martin Saarikangas is a Finnish shipbuilder, best known as the founder of Masa-Yards , after the bankruptcy of Wärtsilä Marine Ltd.. From 2003 to 2007 he was a member of the Finnish Parliament. In 1994 he played three minutes for HJK at the age of 57- References :* Ajatus Kirjat, 2002 ISBN...
, took over the new shipyard in Turku and Wärtsilä's Helsinki New Shipyard.
Another new company, Turun Korjaustelakka Oy, now Turku Repair Yard Ltd, was established to take over the old repair yard. In 2004 the old yard was abandoned and the company moved to a new shipyard outside the city limits on Luonnonmaa
Luonnonmaa
Luonnonmaa is an island in the city of Naantali, in south-western Finland. It forms most of the city's area, but only a fraction of its population as it is rather sparsely populated. It previously belonged to the rural municipality of Naantali , but the municipality was annexed to the city of...
island in Naantali
Naantali
Naantali is a city in south-western Finland, known as one of the most important tourist centres of the country. The municipality has a population of , and is located in the region of Finland Proper, west of Turku....
. The company now operates the largest dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
area. It is owned by BLRT Grupp
BLRT Grupp
BLRT Grupp is a shipbuilding company headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia. In addition to Estonia, the company owns shipyards in Lithuania, Finland and Norway...
.
Engines
WärtsiläWärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a Finnish corporation which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include large combustion engines...
, the company, is today one of the leading producers of large diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s for ships and power plants, producing Wärtsilä-Sulzer
Wärtsilä-Sulzer RTA96-C
The Wärtsilä RT-flex96C is a two-stroke turbocharged low-speed diesel engine designed by the Finnish manufacturer Wärtsilä. It is currently considered the largest reciprocating engine in the world, designed for large container ships, running on heavy fuel oil...
and the Wärtsilä-Vasa engines. The engine factory is also located on the Aura riverbank. In 2004 Wärtsilä decided to move production of its diesel engines from Turku to its factory in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Ships
- One of the few is MV FreewindsFreewindsMV Freewinds is a cruise ship operated by International Shipping - Miami and owned by San Donato Properties, which is a company connected to the Church of Scientology. It was built in 1968 by Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard in Turku, Finland for Wallenius Lines as MS Bohème for service with Commodore...
, the floating "university" of the Church of ScientologyChurch of ScientologyThe Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
. - In 1975—76 Wärtsilä delivered five Belorussiya classBelorussiya class cruiseferriesThe Belorussiya class cruiseferries were built by Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard, Finland in 1975—1976 for the Black Sea Shipping Company, Soviet Union. The five ships in the class were originally used in ferry service around the Black Sea. During the 1980s all ships in the class were rebuilt into cruise...
cruiseferriesCruiseferryA cruiseferry is a ship that combines the features of a cruise ship with a Ro-Pax ferry. Many passengers travel with the ships for the cruise experience, staying only a few hours at the destination port or not leaving the ship at all, while others use the ships as means of...
to the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. All of them are still in service.
See also
- Finnish Maritime ClusterFinnish Maritime ClusterThe Finnish Maritime Cluster is a cluster of companies in maritime industries in Finland. In 2001 the total turnover was estimated at 11.4 billion euros with 47,000 people employed in shipbuilding and related industries.-History:...
- Russian frigate Rurik (1851)Russian frigate Rurik (1851)The Rurik was a steam-powered frigate of the Imperial Russian Navy. She was ordered by the Senate of the Grand Duchy of Finland for the Finnish naval equipage . She was named in honour of Rurik, the semi-legendary founder of ancient Russia.Rurik was designed by Johan Eberhard von Schantz...
- AG Vulcan