EML Grif (P401)

Over 300 Zhuk-class patrol boats were built in the Soviet Union between 1969-1991. Patrol boat P-67 (the future EML Grif) was built in 1976 by the More dockyards in Feodosia, Ukraine. After regaining independence from the Soviet Union one of the first tasks of the Estonian Defence League was to take over two Zhuk-class patrol boats. These were the P-67 and P-68 which the Russian border guards sold to the public limited company Favora at the end of 1991. Estonian Border Guard was interested in these vessels and made preperations to tow them from the Miiduranna harbour to some other port located in Western-Estonia. In 8 June 1992 operation Patrol Boat was initiated. For this operation armed members of the Defence League (Pärnu, Lääne and Tartu Counties) gathered at Miiduranna where the ships were taken over. The boats were in very bad condition. The tug Sõru towed these boats to Rohuküla and from there one of them was moved to Orjaku harbour. Originally these boats were named Edgar and Erika (Grif). Because the fuel consumption turned out to be very high for these vessels the Defence League could not afford to operate with them. In 1994 the patrol boat Erika was towed to Tallinn and on 15 August was handed over to the Estonian Navy. On 20 September 1994 the vessel was renamed Grif and given the bow number P401. Ensign Arvo Seeberg was appointed to command the ship.

In the summer of 1995 Grif conducted her first speed tests in the Bay of Tallinn, during which a major flaw was discovered in the engines. In 1 August 1996 the crew practised their first gunnery exercises on sea but the engines failed again by the end of the Year. In December 1996 it was decided that Grif neede major repairs and was hoisted to the Miinisadam berth. Eventually no repairs were made onboard the ship and on 11 June 2001 she was officially handed over to the Estonian Maritime Museum. Her sistership P-68 aka Leopard never saw active service and was scrapped in 2001.

General characteristics of EML Grif P401while commissioned in the Estonian Navy:
Type Patrol boat
Displacement 39,7 t
Lenght 23,8 m
Beam 5 m
Draught 1,9 m
Propulsion
(main engines) 2x M401A diesel engines, 2200 hp
Range 450 miles
Speed 30 knots
Fuel tanks 3,8 t
Complement 9
Armament 2M1 (1 x 2-12,7 mm)
Rescue equipment 1 liferafts (for 10 people), 2 life rings, 13 lifejackets
Navigational aids radar Furuno M1751

EML = Eesti Mereväe Laev – Estonian Navy Ship

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