At a glance

• Sailing heritage, 126-year-old Dutch flat-bottomed cargo schooner. One of the few survivors of her type. Known under her German cargo period as Weißer Schwan, the White Swan.
• Commercial-grade tall ship at project price. 120,000 EUR (900,000 DKR) for a vessel that sailed commercially only a few years ago and can be returned to that standard. Fully restored and operational, she is valued at a minimum of 3.5 million DKK.
• 126 years of documented provenance. Every owner period mapped. Major reconstruction in 1977 and comprehensive 1983 conversion. Recent hull thickness measurements on file.
• Complete commercial-grade safety equipment in place. Fixed firefighting in engine room, fire alarm throughout, EPIRB, SART, 2 life rafts, 20 SOLAS-approved lifevests with lights, double emergency exit. (Testing and service part of the remaining work.)
• Substantial capacity: 1983 design with 6 cabins / 16 berths, 2 galleys, salon, master cabin, crew area. Suitable for commercial charter, sail training, or substantial private operation.
• Active maintenance. Significant resources invested over the past year. Engine service just completed; battery bank fully renewed April 2025.
• Available for inspection in Aalborg throughout the summer 2026.

The vessel

VENUS af Marstal carries 126 years of continuous sailing history. She was built in 1900 by J.J. Pattje & Zoon at Waterhuizen in the Dutch province of Groningen, one of the oldest continuous shipyards in Northern Holland, traceable back to 1778. Constructed as a flat-bottomed steel cargo schooner for German owners, she is among the few surviving vessels of her type from the North Sea and Baltic trade era.

Under her German cargo identity she became known as Weißer Schwan, the White Swan. The hull is described in the Historischer Hafen Flensburg archive as “gesunder anmutiger Rumpf mit scharfen Enden”, a sound and graceful hull with sharp ends.

Today she is a topsail schooner with 700 m² of sail area distributed across 13 sails, a commercial-grade tall ship, offered as a project for the right steward.

Venus under sail, Hobro to Aalborg, April 2026

Provenance, 7 names, 5 owner eras

Detailed coverage of the 1983 conversion is published in M.J. Kosters, “De Schoener Bisschop van Arkel, witte charter-zwaan”, Spiegel der Zeilvaart 1/1985. Pattje shipyard history is documented in Speld, Kruidhof & Post, Dwars in het Winschoterdiep: Scheepswerf Pattje Waterhuizen, 1778-1998 (Profiel, Bedum, 1998).

Recent investments and upgrades

Specifications

Dimensions and hull

Propulsion and tanks

Electrical

Navigation electronics

• Radar
• AIS
• NAVTEX
• VHF (fixed and handheld; older equipment)
• 2 magnetic compasses (one in binnacle, one portable)
• Navigation charts included with the sale

No chartplotter, no autopilot, no depth sounder, no log, no wind instruments.

Safety equipment (commercial-grade, all in place)

• Fixed firefighting system in engine room
• Fire alarm system throughout the vessel
• EPIRB
• SART
• 2 life rafts
• 20 SOLAS-approved lifevests with lights
• Man-overboard equipment on board
• First aid equipment on board
• Survival suit (1)
• Fixed bilge pump (controlled from engine room)
• Double emergency exit from cabins

Safety systems are physically in place to commercial-shipping standard, but testing and service are not current. Test and service are part of the remaining work the buyer should plan for.

Accommodation (1983 design)

• 6 cabins / 16 berths
• Salon with galley
• Master cabin
• Crew area
• 5 toilets
• Two galleys (main galley in salon and crew galley aft)

The current physical state differs from the 1983 layout: the section between salon and aft (one cabin plus bathroom) has been stripped and is under renovation, and the aft crew galley currently serves as a workshop.

Full equipment list

Sails and rigging

• 13 sails, 700 m² total
• Sail types: square sails, gaff sails, and staysails
• Yards in good condition
• Steel masts, 25 m and 26 m (fitted 2007)
• Complete topsail schooner rig (replaced 2007)
• Main sail winches (renewed 2010)
• New topgallants and topsails (2015)

Deck and ground tackle

• Anchor windlass: manual, working, due for overhaul
• 2 anchors
• Full set of mooring lines (square-braided)

Spares and inventory

• Substantial inventory of spares, equipment, and extras (detailed inventory available at viewing)

Current condition, said honestly

VENUS is a project, not a turn-key vessel. Buyers should expect defects and ongoing renovation; this is reflected in the price and is part of what makes the price attainable.

What runs

• Main engine
• Generator
• Heating system

In place but requiring testing and service

• The full commercial-grade fire and safety systems

Currently offline

Several ship systems are offline and are being brought back online by the current owner.

Stripped or under renovation

• The section between salon and aft (one cabin plus bathroom) has been stripped and is under renovation
• The aft galley currently functions as a workshop

Major work areas the buyer should plan for

She sailed commercially only a few years ago and can be returned to that standard. Fully restored and operational, she is valued at a minimum of 3.5 million DKK; the project price of 120,000 EUR (900,000 DKR) reflects the remaining work.

Registration and documentation

Currently registered as a leisure vessel in the Danish Ship Registry (DIS) at 66 BRT, classified as under 24 metres (the under-24-m classification is based on LPP 23.9 m, not LOA). Commercial registration is available to the buyer in the flag state of choice.

Documentation on file

• Internal compiled provenance package (February 2026)
• Spiegel der Zeilvaart 1/1985 article on the 1983 conversion
• Pattje shipyard history (Speld, Kruidhof & Post, 1998)
• Sail Training International registration from the Bishop’s Horizon era
• Historischer Hafen Flensburg archive entry
• Recent hull thickness measurements
• German insurance currently in force

What is included with the sale

• Full sail wardrobe (13 sails, 700 m²)
• Lines and rigging
• Complete inventory
• Substantial spares, equipment, and extras
• The vessel’s established website and brand are transferred with the sale
• The seller’s full tall-ship operating and maintenance knowledge: handover includes the knowledge, not only the vessel

Who she is for

A steward of sailing heritage. A heritage foundation, a preservation society, a commercial charter or sail-training operator, or a private individual with tall-ship experience and a multi-year vision. The right buyer is not purchasing a boat, they are taking on the stewardship of a piece of maritime history.

Practical and contact

Price

120,000 EUR (900,000 DKR), firm. The price is not open to negotiation; it already sits well below operational market value because she is a project.

Position and inspection

• Home port: Marstal, Ærø, Denmark
• Currently lying: Aalborg, available for inspection throughout the summer of 2026
• Pre-purchase survey: Potential buyers may put the vessel on the slip for inspection at their own initiative and at their own expense, solely.

Contact

• Email: andersbischoff@gmail.com
• WhatsApp / phone: +45 60 60 36 29