Tecla’s History

Originally built in 1915 as a herring drifter in the North Sea, Tecla started her life without an engine and only a gaff ketch rig. Tecla was built in Vlaardingen for the fleet of Katwijk, her fishing number was KW143 and her name was originally ‘Graaf van Limburg Stirum’.

Tecla was designed to carry many tonnes of barrels of fish but needed to maintain good speed to be commercially viable. Her design and rig meant that she was one of the fastest of the fleet. She spent her first five years fishing the North Sea and survived the first World War.

By 1920 she had been laid up and neglected as engine power vessels dominated the fishing industry, and there was not the demand for sail-powered fishing vessels. She remained out of use for 15 years until she was sold to Denmark, in 1935 and re-named Marie. Lovingly restored and upgraded with a diesel engine, she was the pride of the Danish harbour Egernsund and operated with her sister ship. She was painted white and fondly referred to as the white Swan of Egernsund as she continued delivering cargo across the Baltic Sea. 

She continued as a working vessel until the late 1970’s and her last post of registry in Denmark was Aalborg, here she was renamed Tekla.

In 1985 she was brought back to the Netherlands and reconstruction work was started to get her ready for a life as charter vessel in European waters. In 1989 she was launched as Tecla and started her new career sailing to Norway, Denmark, Germany, England, France and Ireland.

In 2006 the Bouwman/Sluik family bought her with the dream of traveling far and wide and maintaining this classic beauty. They remain sailing Tecla around Patagonia, Chile, Antarctica and Greenland to the present day.