The denial of port facilities to the Russian Baltic Fleet, forcing them to overload themselves with coal, played a part in their defeat at Tsushima in 1905. Commander Semenoff described the problems facing the fleet required to sail around the world with very few friendly coaling ports. His ship, the Borodino-class battleship "Knyaz Suvorov", found all neutral ports closed, leaving it the choice of either coaling at anchor three miles off the coast—regarded as very risky or even impossible even in good weather—or carrying additional fuel. The Borodino class battleships—already 2.5 ft lower in the water than designed and weighted-down even carrying their designed maximum of 1100 tonnes—took on a total 2200 tonnes of coal. They even used the main deck and were regarded as potentially at risk of capsizing in a strong wind. The "Suvorov" coaled for 29 hours in tropical heat, the sailors keeping cotton wool between their teeth to avoid inhaling coal dust. Semenoff reckoned no one could work for more than 20 minutes in those conditions.