Weather stopped Danes from rescuing Russian steamer

Strong wind hinders attempts of Danish rescuers to deliver the Duncan, a Russian steamboat that ran aground off Danish port Kalunborg this Monday.

On Friday, there will be one more attempt to pull out the boat from the sand and study the harm it took, deputy chief of the port Kristofer Lund told RIA Novosti.

The antique steamer tugboat was thrown aground by strong wind on July 23. The vessel was ripped off anchor and blown ashore. The crew appealed for help but Danish authorities demanded advance payment, coming against old maritime practice that no payment must come without rescue. A while later, Danish authorities promised to rescue the vessel and bring in to their port at their expense.

The Duncan's voyage began four years ago. It was meant to mark three centuries of Russian fleet.

The vessel was launched in 1901 from the Pavel Vahl & Co shipyard in the now Finland. It was then christened as Leporello. In 1902, Izhorskie zavody enterprise purchased the steamboat and began regular journeys to and from Kronshtadt, a fortified islet off St. Petersburg.

The vessel is 21.5 metres long and 4.7 metres wide, with the tonnage of 69 tonnes. It has a two-cylinder steam engine.

In early nineties, an experienced sailor Valentin Syromyatnikov bought the steamboat. The Duncan is part of European Steamboats Association and is active in various maritime shows and parades across European ports.

Russia seems to have only three operating steamboats, the Duncan, the tugboat Baltiyets and the ice-breaker Krasin. There are only 80 vessels with steam engine remaining in the world.