The historic ship, designated as a cultural monument, returns to the Dam fleet after nine years out of service and 16 months of renovations. Before going to water, the ship was ceremonially baptised by a priest and initiated with champagne. Photo credit: CG / Brno Daily.
Brno, Jul 7 (BD) – The newest member of the dam fleet, ‘Morava’, was ceremonially baptized last Saturday, before it took its first trip for the public. The ship was originally constructed in 1955 and has been out of service since 2011, due to poor technical condition. Over the past 16 months, the ship has been completely renovated, while keeping its original appearance.
“I am very pleased that DMPB carried out this demanding reconstruction, and the ship was able to return to the Brno Dam after nine years, joining the six existing ships. In recent months, the people of Brno chose the name ‘Morava’ for the ship in a public poll. I want it to be a decoration not only of our dam, but of the whole of Moravia, and I hope it will attract a lot of new passengers here,” said the Mayor of Brno, Marketa Vankova (ODS).
‘Morava’, the seventh ship in the DMPB fleet, will sail both on a regular line and on commercial trips, which are becoming ever more popular, according to the City of Brno. The 35-ton ship can carry up to 150 people.
“We are thrilled with the result of the reconstruction. The ship was restored, but at the same time preserving the original appearance and elements that are characteristic of this ship, such as the engine and windows of the tram and other components. The ship will thus remain a testament to the work of the DPMB employees who built it 65 years ago in unimaginable conditions here on the Brno Dam,” said Milos Havranek, General Director of DMPB.
The reconstruction costs came to CZK 15.6 million, of which CZK 5 million was covered by a subsidy from the National Program for the Support of Tourism in the Regions, issued by the Ministry of Regional Development.
The ship was declared a cultural monument by the Ministry of Culture in 2013.