the port of Hanko. In the temporary directive, given on 5 February 1890, she was to maintain an open channel between the harbour and open water, and assist inbound and outbound ships by towing if necessary. The directive also gave some of the first guidelines for icebreakers regarding for example the qualifications required from the crew. When Murtaja arrived in Helsinki in early April, most of the ice had already melted and the new icebreaker was not taken into service. She returned to Finnboda for repairs under warranty in May and remained in the shipyard until mid-August. The winter of 1890–1891 was mild, so Murtaja could not demonstrate her icebreaking capabilities to their full extent. However, she lost a large number of cast iron propeller blades and while the replacement blades could be installed at sea by trimming the vessel so that the propeller shaft was near the water surface, the heavy task took several days. For this reason the Helsinki Polytechnics later developed more durable steel blades that were also used in the subsequent icebreakers. During the first normal winters the icebreaking capability of Murtaja could be determined. She could break level ice up to thick in continuous motion as long as there was no snow, in which case even ice required backing and ramming. In this method the ship was reversed two to four ship lengths before ordering full ahead, after which the ship could break new channel up to six ship lengths, almost . However, in more difficult ice conditions each ramming would move the ship forwards only . In snow-covered ice and drift ice Murtaja could not operate efficiently due to her inefficient hull form. Sometimes the crew had to rely on hacking and sawing the ice or even explosives to release the ship from compressive ice fields. Despite her efforts the 930-ton single-screw Murtaja was not deemed powerful enough to keep the southernmost port of Finland open every winter, and the winter navigation committee appointed by the Senate came to a conclusion that a second icebreaker would be needed. The new icebreaker, equipped with propellers in both bow and stern, was built in 1898 and given the name Sampo. First World War In August 1914 Russia joined the First World War and navigating in the Baltic Sea became dangerous due to naval mines and German U-boats. The Finnish icebreakers were placed under the command of