Page 16: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 1996)

EUROPEAN UPDATE direction.

Russian Steam Tug Restored

As Testbed

Rudokop, a 108-ft. (32.8-m), ex-

Russian Navy multi-purpose seagoing steam tug built at the

Dubitsky yard in St. Petersburg in the late 1950s, has been acquired and carefully restored by

Canadian marine bearing special- ist Thordon International as a test- bed for the company's products and mobile exhibition booth. The ves- sel is currently in the U.K. as part of an eight-year grand European tour which began following its pur- chase by Thordon president Sandy

Thompson in November 1991.

The early history of the vessel is shrouded in secrecy, but its last major mission before the Thordon acquisition was reportedly as an icebreaking water tender in the

Port of Archangelsk, for which role it was strengthened, with tanks added for carrying capacity of more

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In the winter of 1992-93, the first refurbishment contract was given to the Nauta yard in Poland.

At this time, tanks were removed to provide guest cabin spaces, the boiler was repaired and the hull was blasted and painted. During the winter, as part of a progres- sive European tour, Rudokop, (the name is Russian for miner), returned to St. Petersburg where all auxiliary engines and pumps were rebuilt and more work was performed on the accommodation areas.

The next winter stopover was in

Hamburg, Germany, mainly for mechanical repairs which includ- ed the fitting of a second boiler and rebuilding all the main and crank bearings to the superbly balanced 600-hp triple expansion steam engine which, according to

Mr. Thompson, is quieter at 160 rpm than any diesel, while provid- ing a maximum speed of 10 knots.

By the winter of 1995-96, the grand tour had reached Zandaam in Holland where new bilge keels and a stainless steel propeller were added and the work to the deckhouse further enhanced.

MR/EN visited Rudokop in St.

Katherine's Dock alongside the famous Tower of London, the ves- sel's first port of call in the U.K.

During the course of the refur- bishment work, the vessel was equipped with a number of

Thordon products. Low friction, water-lubricated Compac open bearings were fitted to the spe- cially coated propeller shaft, with an automatic stuffing box incorpo- rated. The rudder line was also provided with new stainless pin- tles and Thordon bearings. Other components have been fitted to the anchor windlass, steering chain rollers and rope guides. An experimental intermediate bear- ing, which may find its way on to the market, was also installed to replace the original white metal unit. "Rudokop fulfills three separate roles," advised Mr. Thompson. "Primarily, she is a demonstration platform for Thordon marine products, and the saloon acts as a meeting room for presentations including VCR. As no test rig can ever simulate conditions as well as the real thing, the vessel serves this additional role and she also provides our distributor personnel with the experience of living close to the world of the shipowner, our customer," he added. aritime Reporter/Engineering News