Steam Warping Tug *Uitto 6*

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This is a tugboat that was used to tow timber rafts across Lake Kemijärvi. The steam tug is a so-called "warping tug." In the warping process, an anchor was cast from the vessel to the lakebed; the vessel then traveled—unencumbered—to the timber raft on the other side of the lake. The raft was secured to the ship with a towline, and the ship winched itself back to the starting point using the cable attached to the anchor. This method enabled the movement of timber rafts across large expanses of water, as the steam vessel’s own engine power would not have been sufficient to tow the raft directly.

 

The vessel was built at the Oulu Engineering Works in 1898 and was originally named *Alku*. Its name was changed when it came into the ownership of the Kemi River Log-Floating Association in 1923. The vessel remained in service on Lake Kemijärvi until 1962.

 

The pontoon-based warping tug located next to the steam tug operated on the same principle as *Uitto 6*. Later, steam tugs were replaced by motor and diesel tugs.