Livadia: Russian Imperial Yacht
Douglas:
Here is an article written at the time the yacht was constructed in 1880 It is presented here in three parts. This is a voyage from Scotland to Sevastopol
Driving on the Black Sea was planned as an educational and sail "with the only development of power machinery - reported in August, AA Popov, -" to enable all machines to personnel calmly look around and become familiar with the operation and management of machines. " After cooking, October 3, the yacht left Grinoksky raid. On board as honorary guests were shipbuilders Pierce, Tideman, and Reed, as well as the controller of the British Navy Admiral Stewart. In Brest, climbed aboard the Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, and under the general-admiral's flag, "Livadia" moved on Oct. 7, through the Bay of Biscay in Cadiz. By this time, her cake was: 2,9 m nosed, stern - 3,0 m (including secondary, sunken, deadwood - 5.44 m).
The steamer "Experience" (The former yacht Livadia)
Until midnight on October 8 march took place in favorable conditions, at a rate of 12-13 knots. Risen rapidly during the night the wind grew stronger, spreading a strong oncoming swell. With two o'clock in the morning on October 9 waves began to beat in the bow of a pontoon boat - initially rare, these attacks with increasing wind and wave height increased. Progress had to be reduced to 4-5 knots. But strikes continued. Very cautious in their assessments of Reed wrote: "The pounding waves in flat bottom boats were horrible at times ..." About the same reported in the report and IK Vogak: "... One of them was particularly strong, performing the all impression of a collision with a solid object ... "At 10 o'clock in the morning found that the first double bottom compartment was filled with water, quickly had to change course and head to the Spanish port of Ferrol.
According to eyewitnesses, the wave height reached 6.7 m, with the roll did not exceed 3,5 ° aboard, and pitching - 9 ° in the extent of 5,5 ° to 3,5 ° nose and aft. Screws never denude. "The yacht did not fall - reported to the commander: tableware and high candelabra were motionless in calm, no soup in a bowl, no water in the cup has never leaked.
How, then, "Livadia", led by experienced sailors, came into the center of the storm, and even went against the waves? This is all the more puzzling, since its board were shipbuilders, implying a further test that the yacht is good "when the waves are not too large quantities." As noted by a member of the selection committee captain 2 rank VP Verkhovsky "yacht was never intended for the ocean voyage, and therefore to judge her qualities rather the Black Sea ... her in any case no reason to even on the Black Sea daily by heavy storms. The biggest transition from Odessa to Poti ... yacht will easily 30 or 35 hours, and of course there will be no extremes leaving the port in the most storm ... "
Reid refers directly to the general-admiral, who, he said, believed that one should not lose an opportunity "to make a thorough test of the yacht so we headed into the maw of Biscay gale. About the same, but more diplomatically, and Verkhovsky wrote: "were willing to meet ... a good storm, I wish that we trepnulo to the wind and sea were stronger ...but without it ... and complete opinion about the qualities of the yacht can not ...». Sam is the head of the campaign decided on a "test" or he has helped and advised, remained unknown.
In Ferrolskoy bay divers found in the bow of the pontoon, with the left side, 5-foot dent with gaps and cracks in the cladding sheets, bent and broken frames. Have been dumped five on-board and one double bottom compartment. Initially, the cause of injuries considered a collision with floating debris, about what and sent a message to the "Official Gazette", but after
Douglas:
careful inspection, and Russian and foreign experts came to the unanimous opinion - the damage caused by the blows of the waves!
Repairs had to perform afloat by running the command ship of Mechanical Engineers: no European dock could not accommodate "Livadia", and Standfilsky at this time only the retrofit in Sevastopol for the reception of the yacht.
Only seven and a half months of corrected yacht left the Spanish port, continuing April 26, 1881 its transition. Now it was headed by Vice Admiral I. Shestakov. They walked slowly and cautiously, taking cover from the weather by the shore or in ports. Morning of 27 May "Livadia" entered the Sevastopol bay. 3,890 miles, it broke a 381 running hours, spending more than 2900 tons of coal. A special note IA Shestakov said ease of control boat, the straightness of its speed, comfort and lack of pitching. However, he stated that, regardless of speed, even with a slight swell "twitched from blows to the cheeks pancake, and for head-sea" blows his nose was very palpable, with the superstructure "walked" (vibrate). Nevertheless, the admiral thought well and carefully made yacht worthy to exist, but ... after the tests "under all circumstances, the sea and the weather."
Yet determined its destiny, "Livadia" fulfilled its unique, as it turned out, the voyage across the Black Sea. May 29, under the flag of the chief commander of the Black Sea Fleet, she moved to Yalta and taking on board the Admiral General and his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich, went to Batum, where he returned three days later. Passengers are not so lucky: the sea storms and add-shaking shock waves in a pontoon.
In mid-June, the boat picked up in Standfilskom dock, where she visited members of the committee appointed the new head of the Navy Department Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich. Following an established yet in Ferrol opinion, the commission acknowledged that the injuries received from the yacht blows waves and considered a pontoon hull design, especially in the bow, poor resistance to these attacks. In the MOTC agreed with these findings and prescribed "for safe navigation" to replace any damaged parts with new with increased recruitment into the nasal tip.
In the three weeks stay in the dock underwater part of the pontoon just cleared of shells and greenery, and then re-dyed. Repair work not performed, imposed only three bars on the detected cracks sheet cladding. By this time the leadership of the ministry decided to hold a new yacht for sea trials of a specially designed instruction.
From August 3 to 12 "Livadia" 136 times has passed dimensional mile at Sevastopol. Was removed 312 charts, draft and trim carefully maintained. Before the breakdown of the maximum stroke the boat was prepared for several days, but to reach the 15 knot speed was not possible. At the highest power of advanced machines (9,837 hp..), The average speed was 14.46 knots. Such an affront caused confusion in the ranks of the Commission, it came to charges of defrauding the builders. However, committee member Captain 2 rank G. Vlasov thoroughly proved inaccurate manual testing and lack of skills at the machine instruction to maintain full steam boilers. MTC has supported Vlasevo, noting, in addition, poor quality of coal used. Managing the Marine Ministry, drawing attention to the difference power level during testing in England and Russia have reached 2500 liters.with., angrily remarked that this fact "completely destroys all sorts of calculations and considerations when designing our new ships with a known task.
Douglas:
"Experience" in Sevastopol
"Experience." View from the nose
August 15 yacht went to Nikolaev, where he "disarmed." In September, her team went back to the Baltic Sea, replacing the Black Sea. Property and furniture began to slowly were took on the port warehouses, in the press boat delicately referred to as "the former ... yacht.
The official conclusion about the weakness of the design of underwater hull served as the verdict of a new type of vessel. However, this "weakness" was the only major consequence of a lack of boats: the case of heavy blows on a rampage, tagged in all swimming, but with the greatest force manifested in Biscay. This phenomenon, later known as "sleming" deprived "Livadia" seaworthiness.
Himself an inventor realized this is one of the first. Back in May, responding to a note by Admiral IA Shestakova, he frankly admitted: "this lack of ... I can say positively that a small deepening of the yacht, which led to its limited displacement is a mistake that I had not foreseen was the extent to which it affected the practice ...». In a personal letter AA Popov General Admiral says more precisely: "pitching boat because 1) small deepening 2) flat bottom, producing a phenomenon that other courts do not find in the size of what has the design of the yacht ... when pitching from the corners of 3 1 / 4 ° or more in the stern, the bottom of the bow laid bare, on which there are: a) committed the destruction of buoyancy bow section that generates a voltage across the yacht anchorage systems, and b) strikes the bottom of the wave .. so strong that both convenience and safety of navigation totally violated ... "
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