Ilmarine

The Ilmarine was a 47-foot-long (14.3 meters) wooden fishing boat that a group of mostly Estonian refugees bought for 30,000 Swedish kronor. The boat sailed from Göteborg on July 5 or 6, 1949, with 23 people on board, including four women and three children. The name of the captain is not known, but engineer Valter Puskar, who had initiated plans to buy the boat, would turn out to be the most important person on board.

As soon as the Ilmarine left the harbor, it began experiencing engine problems that required stops in southern Norway and Lowestoft, England. A storm forced it to seek shelter in Dover, and by the time the Ilmarine reached Plymouth, it was clear that a complete overhaul was needed.

Since the refugees had used up their funds to buy the boat, they petitioned the British authorities to allow them to stay so they could earn money. They were given six months. An Englishman who heard about their plight also lent them 250 English pounds so they could begin repairs immediately. It was quickly learned that the boat needed a new radiator as well, and the refugees ended up spending a year in England.

By then, the captain and some of the crew had left the ship, so Puskar taught himself to sail the boat to Argentina. The Ilmarine stopped in the Cape Verde islands off the west coast of Africa on its way to Recife, Brazil, arriving on November 25, 1949. Finally, according to the minutes of the Estonian Society of Argentina, the Ilmarine docked in Buenos Aires on December 27, 1949, with 15 people on board.

Initially, the Argentine authorities did not allow the refugees to land. The Estonian Society submitted letters to the Director General de Migraciónon (Director General of Immigration) December 29 and to the Prefecto General Maritime (Prefect General Maritime) on December 31, requesting that the refugees be allowed on shore for New Year’s celebrations under the society’s supervision. Shore leave, however, was only granted on January 9, 1950.

Known crew and passengers:

Captain Valter Puskar
Gustav Pank
Zoja Arhipov
Karl Kosemets
Arnold Kall
Jaan Rannapõld
Paul Toomeorg
Heldi Kondrov
Osvald Look
Väino Hoolmaa
Robert, Liisi, Triin, and Rein Kristjuhan
Arvis Similga

Photograph courtesy of Estonian Society of Argentina archives, Buenos Aires.