The Oosterschelde is a three masted schooner

Schooner

A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....

 from the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, built in 1918. She is the largest restored Dutch freightship and the only remaining Dutch three masted topsailschooner, of which there were hundreds in the early 20th century. Her home port is Rotterdam

Rotterdam

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...

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As a freighter with a capacity of 400 ton

Ton

The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...

s, she transported mainly clay, stone and wood, but also herring, bran, potatoes, straw and bananas. In the 1930's a heavier diesel engine was installed and some sail-rigging was removed (including the aft mast). In 1939 she was sold to a Danish shipping company and, rebaptised Fuglen, became one of the most modern ships in the Danish fleet. In 1954 she was sold to a Swede, renamed Sylvan and thoroughly rebuilt to a modern motorised coaster.

In 1988 she was brought back to the Netherlands. She had always been maintained well, but restoration to the original state turned out too expensive for private funding. So a foundation collected money from various sources, partly by selling shares in the ship. Restoration lasted from 1990 to 1992, with the help of her last Dutch captain, Jan Kramer, and three maritime museums, to ensure authenticity.

From 1996 through 1998 she made a trip around the world. Maintenance is paid for through paying passengers and company presentations.

Specifications:

• Length: 50 m
• Width: 7,5 m
• Mast height: 36 m
• Depth: 2,95 m
• Sail surface: 891 m²
• Engine: Deutz 6 cylinder, 360 hp
• Crew: 4 to 8 (+ room for 24 passengers, up to 120 for daytrips)
• Huts: 8 x 2 person, 2 x 4 person