SS Hestmanden

SS Hestmanden is a Norwegian steamer which sailed in foreign trade during both World War I and World War II, and the only preserved and remaining cargo ship that has sailed in convoys during both world wars. As the only remaining in the Nortraship's fleet, it represents a central part of Norway's war history and maritime history and is a very important protection object. Hestmanden is considered perhaps the most valuable veteran vessel of Norway.[1][2][3]

SS Hestmanden
History
Norway
Name: Hestmanden
Namesake: Hestmannen
Owner:
  • 1911–1955: Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab
  • 1955–1979: Høvding Skipsopphugging
  • 1979–1992: Norsk Veteranskibsklub
  • 1992–present: Stiftelsen Hestmanden
Port of registry: Stokmarknæs
Builder: Laxevaags Maskin & Jernskibsbyggeri, Bergen
Launched: 1911
Status: Museum ship
General characteristics
Displacement: 979 tons
Length: 195
Beam: 30
SS Hestmanden in Oslo in 1936
Norwegian war sailing museum
Norsk krigsseilermuseum
Established2017
Locationexhibitions on board SS Hestmanden
TypeWar memorial and museum of wartime sailing
Website

Hestmanden was built in Laksevåg for the Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab in 1911. During the interwar period and after World War II until the 1970s, Hestmanden sailed as usual in this shipping company's domestic coastal freight route.

In a fairly dilapidated condition, Hestmanden was taken care of by the Norsk Veteranskipsklubb ( a Norwegian club for veteran vessels) in 1979. In 1995 the restoration work started at the Bredalsholmen Veteranship Shipyard in Kristiansand.[1][2][4]

Timeline

[1]

  • 1911: Delivered to Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab (VDS).
  • 1913: First foreign trade sailing.
  • 1917: (World War I) Leased to British authorities.
  • 1919: The lease terminated, the ship returned to VDS.
  • 1940: (World War II) Sailed to Scotland in June and was incorporated into Nortraship.[5]
  • 1947: Remodeled and modernized at Akers Mekaniske Verksted, Oslo.
  • 1955: Sold to Chief Shipwreck and renamed "Vegafjord".
  • 1965: In mooring.
  • 1979: Purchased and saved by the Norsk Veteranskibsklubb, funded by Petter Olsen.
  • 1982: Towed to Trondheim, up to and including 1986 conservation project to stop further decay.
  • 1992: Towed to Bredalsholmen in Kristiansand. The work started with the granting of money for restoration.
  • 1995: The Storting (The Norwegian Parliament) gave SS Hestmanden status as a war memorial.
  • 1996: The ship was protected by law by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage, the Hestmanden Foundation took over the ship.[6]
  • 2002: The hull is completely restored.
  • 2008: Restoration work stopped at the end of the year due to lack of funding.
  • 2011: Re-launched and renamed after restoration, both exactly one hundred years after the first time.
  • 2012: The movie about SS Hestmanden was finished in November.[7]
  • 2017: Officially opened as Norsk krigsseilermuseum (the Norwegian War Sailing Museum).

Floating museum

The idea was to enable the ship to be a sailing museum along the coast of Norway as a memorial of the Norwegian wartime sailors.

In September 2011, the steamer was "re-launched" from the yard. It will now be anchored as a museum ship, home ported in Kristiansand. During the baptism ceremony, King Harald was present, together with 240 war time sailors, among others.

After 2011, further restoration and upgrading has been an ongoing process.[8]

  • The deck is of wood
  • Detail from the original steam engine
  • The wheelhouse
  • The transom

References
  1. D/S «Hestmanden» Krigsseilerregisteret (in English)
  2. DS «Hestmanden» Norsk Veteranskibsklubb (in Norwegian)
  3. DS «Hestmanden» - Det heldige skipet Skipsrevyen (in Norwegian)
  4. Tom Rasmussen (1997). «Skibet arbeidet voldsomt i sjøen...» : En historisk-teknisk dokumentasjon av lastedampskipet Hestmanden. Norheimsund: Hardanger fartøyvernsenter (in Norwegian) ISBN 8291828008
  5. D/S Hestmanden warsailors-com
  6. Hestmanden Kulturminnesøk, Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage (in Norwegian)
  7. Dokumentar: Hestmanden - "The lucky star" hestmanden.com (in Norwegian)
  8. Forholdene for besøkende på Bredalsholmen og til DS Hestmanden skal utbedres Vest-Agder County (in Norwegian)
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