Oosterschelde’s History

With over 100 years of sailing, Oosterschelde has a colourful sailing history that has taken her quite literally, all around the world!

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Built over 100 years ago in Rotterdam, three-masted topsail schooner Oosterschelde was originally commissioned as a sail-powered freighter.

For many years, she delivered various cargo all over European waters and was regularly seen off the coast of Morocco and on the Mediterranean Sea. In 1939, she was bought by Danish owners on the island of Aerø who renamed her Fuglen II where she remained working as a cargo ship until being sold to Swedish owners in 1954. Extensive remodelling and updating were carried out to transform her into a modern coaster and her name changed once again to Sylvan.

1988 marked the year that Oosterschelde was finally brought home to the Netherlands. The Rotterdam Sailing Ship Foundation took charge of the fundraising necessary for the restoration of the vessel to its authentic condition and she was finally commissioned to take guests sailing worldwide in 1992 when Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet officially put the ship into service.

Oosterschelde has since spent her years sailing guests all over the world with visits to Japan and Antarctica as well as spending 18months circumnavigating around the world in 1998. She now varies her sailing schedule from year to year, attending tall ship regattas across Europe and exploring the Cape Verde Islands in the winter.

She is now the only remaining representative of her original fleet, making her the oldest and largest Dutch topsail schooner to be sailing today. She is registered as a monument by the Dutch Ministry of Culture.