Last winter, when water levels in Tartu's Emajõgi River were high water, ship owners had to raise the quays at the city's Karlova port using concrete blocks on several occasions in order to prevent their vessels from sinking.

They say higher quays are needed in the city, as well as areas on land by the river where vessels can be maintained. The city has now offered a small plot of land to be used for that purpose, with detailed plans for the new port to be drawn up soon.

The location could be the vacant plot behind Tartu Prison.

"In the future, that area could have the infrastructure necessary for maintaining and repairing these ships. It could also have the facilities needed for storing vessels," said Tartu Deputy Mayor Kertu Vuks.

"The Emajõgi River in Tartu is becoming increasingly popular for all kinds of people. This includes boat users well as various athletes, who use the river. There is a major need for places to store them in the summer as well as to store and maintain them in the winter," Vuks added.

However, it would be difficult for Tartu's world-renowned barges "Jõmmu" and "Suur Sume" to use the port in the location planned as it is on the other side of the city to the place where they are usually housed.

Water levels in the river are often so high in spring that the barges would not be able to pass under the city's bridges. This winter, "Suur Sume," the larger of the two barges, remained on the river, though the ice can have a detrimental impact.

"Water gets between the planks, and when it freezes, it tends to push them apart. If that happens a lot of times during the winter, it can push the planks so far apart that in the spring, when the ice is gone, the hull then tends to leak quite a bit," said Priit Jagomägi, owner of Lodjakoda – a unique facility in Tartu, where historical ships are built.

"We are trying to come up with a compromise so the ship can stay in the water without being damaged by the ice. We have salted the inside and are attempting to keep the outside as ice-free as possible," Jagomägi explained.

"As things stand, if the ship were to be taken downstream to the Ihaste district in the fall, it would not be able to pass back through in spring due to high water levels. We do not have a location upstream that meets the requirements of the Environmental Board," said Kertu Vuks.

The area of land earmarked for the new port is approximately four hectares, with the planning process likely to take over a year.

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