Tudor Vladimirescu

[Dallinson]

Gentlemen
This is the very positive response that I have just received from the
Romanian group regarding the Tudor Vladimirescu
Definitely worth putting your twopennyworth.
Best regards
David

-----Original Message-----
From: Edgar Martin [mailto:edgar@danube-research.com]
Sent: 02 January 2003 16:27
To: David Allinson; PJ@paddleducks; David Powell
Subject: Tudor Vladimirescu

Dear David, Paul and Dai,

Thank you for your comments concerning the proposed "restoration" of Tudor
Vladimirescu.

First of all I would like to make it very clear that **I AGREE WITH YOU**,
indeed the policy of Danube Research is always to preserve the integrity of
any historic vessel.

Please take another look at the Tudor Vladimirescu page within
www.danube-research.com <http://www.danube-research.com> where it states
that the design is provided by a company called ECOU Design; **NOT** Danube
Research. We have placed the restoration proposals online to attract the
kind of response which you have provided. These comments will be passed to
the relevant authorities in the hope that they will make some difference.

I expressed these views some time ago to the naval architect concerned who
responded that the vessel's present lines are not at all original. She had a
major, I would add brutal, refit in the late 1950s in Orsova since when, in
the words of many Romanians, "she looks more like a bus". They have a point.

Danube Research would prefer the vessel to be restored to her inter-war
appearance as Sarmisegetusa / Grigore Manu (see attached plan).

Some people in Romania believe that the ship would only make money for her
owners in a "modernised" form, hence this bizarre design proposal. Needless
to say we disagree.

This all ignores the main issue however. You are probably familiar with the
comparatively large number of historic vessels in Western Europe, North
America and other "rich" regions where sufficient funds for restoration
cannot be found. This vessel is in Romania, a poor country with even less
available for such schemes. The only Western European interest in the vessel
has been to remove her away from the Danube altogether.

One of our biggest concerns is the removal of historic Danube vessels to
richer countries where the vessels' Danube heritage is ignored. An example
of this is the paddle steamer Giurgiu (see Historic Vessels page within
www.danube-research.com <http://www.danube-research.com> ) which is to be
moved to Switzerland after being rebuilt as the paddle steamer Wengi. In
theory this is against our ideals, but on the other hand, as can be seen in
our photo of the vessel in 2000, she was slowly sinking in Tulcea so any
restoration may be preferable to destruction. [In addition of course there
are vessels which also have a heritage elsewhere, such as the Clyde-built
Steam Yacht Libertatea (Nahlin).]

In an ideal world these historic vessels would be accurately restored to
their original form or that of most historical significance. The River
Danube does not flow through an ideal world.

Further to this I am afraid that Tudor Vladimirescu has deteriorated
noticeably since the website was last updated. I visited the vessel last
summer and she has been returned to long-term lay-up at Chiciu. After being
stripped bare at the shipyard, she is now exposed to the elements far more
than before and is suffering from the extremes of Romanian weather. On the
positive side however the Romanian Maritime/Naval Museum is showing a strong
interest in the vessel and Galati City Council, supported by Danube
Research, has made a proposal for funding to be allocated to restoring TV.
This proposal is not connected with the "restoration" plans of ECOU design,
although there are still powerful figures who remain in favour of that
design.

This vessel is believed to be the oldest paddle steamer in the world and
despite the 1950s rebuild still has her original hull, engine and paddles.
Let's hope she can yet be restored to her former glory.

Thanks for your interest in this historic paddler. We will update the
website whenever we have any news about the vessel.

Best regards,

Edgar Martin
Director, Danube Research
- Danube Shipping Consultants -

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

E-mail: edgar@danube-research.com <mailto:edgar@danube-research.com>
Web: http://www.danube-research.com/