Oosterschelde was built in the Netherlands in 1918 at the order of the Rotterdam shipping company H.A.A.S and is the last remaining representative of the large fleet of schooners that sailed under the Dutch flag at the beginning of the 20th century. Her name derives from the eastern part of the Schelde river that flows from France through Belgium and the Netherlands to the sea.
As a freighter Oosterschelde carried some hundred tons of cargo including bricks, herring and bananas.
In the 1930s, 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 II, 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.
In 1992 Oosterschelde once again set sail and she is the largest restored Dutch sailing ship.
Information about Oosterschelde:
Nationality: Netherlands
Length: 48,6 meters
Width: 7,5 meters
Height: 28 meters
Previous visits to Esbjerg during TSR: 2 (2014 & 2018)