1900 505 Topsail Schooner, 120 000 EUR

VENUS af Marstal carries 126 years of continuous sailing history. Built in 1900 by J.J. Pattje & Zoon at Waterhuizen, Holland, she is one of the few surviving flat-bottomed steel cargo schooners from the North Sea and Baltic trade era. Under her German cargo identity she became known as Weißer Schwan, the White Swan. Her 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, sold as a project for the right steward.

PROVENANCE
1900, Adelheit: Built for German owners, North Sea and Baltic cargo trade.
1910: Registered in Hamburg under J. Noldt; earned the nickname Weißer Schwan.
1943: First diesel installed during the Second World War.
1953-1977, Antje Adelheit: Family Junge of Rellingen; one of the last traditional coastal vessels in active service in North Frisia.
1977: Sold to the Netherlands as Adelheit van Enkhuizen; hull stripped, major sections reconstructed in original form.
1983: Comprehensive conversion to passenger topsail schooner. New rig, lee-boards replaced with bilge keels, ballast keel added (transforming her from shallow-water to sea-going), full passenger fit-out 6 cabins / 16 berths, captain's deckhouse, professional galley, central heating.
1984-2017, Bisschop van Arkel: 30+ years in Dutch charter fleet, sailing the Baltic and North Sea.
2007: Lost both masts in an accident in Swedish waters; complete new steel masts and rigging fitted same year.
2009: Main engine overhauled.
2018-2024, Bishop's Horizon: Acquired by Swedish owners; sail training from the Gothenburg archipelago, registered with Sail Training International as a Class B vessel under Maltese flag.
2025-present, VENUS af Marstal: Acquired by foreningen Neptun in Marstal, Denmark.

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.

DIMENSIONS AND HULL
LOA 33.00 m. LPP 23.9 m. Beam 5.70 m. Draft 2.00 m. BRT 66. Steel hull, bilge keels and ballast keel added 1983. Topsail schooner rig completely renewed 2007 (after mast loss), 25 m and 26 m steel masts.

PROPULSION AND TANKS
Main engine: Volvo Penta TD100, 200 HP / 147 kW. Overhauled 2009. Service just completed; fresh oil and filters on board. Fixed propeller with gearbox. Fixed bilge pump, controlled from engine room. Generator: Mitsubishi 3-cyl. + GENCO alternator, 220V, single-phase. Fuel: 2,500 L in 2 tanks (renewed 2004). Fresh water: 5,000 L in 2 stainless steel tanks. Top speed: 9 knots.

ELECTRICAL
Bus voltage 12V / 24V / 230V. Battery bank 24V, 225 Ah. 2 x Varta Promotive Silver 12V 225 Ah, in series. BOTH BATTERIES BRAND NEW, BOUGHT APRIL 2025. Expandable with 8 additional batteries of the same type. Shore power 16 A. Inverter: Victron. Battery charger: Mastervolt (separate, installed 2013).

NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
Radar. AIS. NAVTEX. VHF (fixed and handheld). 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 (commercial-grade, all systems in place)
Fixed firefighting system in engine room. Fire alarm system throughout the vessel. EPIRB. SART. Flares. 2 life rafts. 20 SOLAS-approved lifevests with lights. Man-overboard equipment. First aid equipment. 1 survival suit. Fixed bilge pump. Double emergency exit from cabins.

NB: 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.

ACCOMMODATION
1983 design: 6 cabins, 16 berths, salon with galley, master cabin, crew area, 5 toilets, two galleys. Currently the section between salon and aft (one cabin plus bathroom) is stripped and under renovation, and the aft galley functions as a workshop.

EQUIPMENT
13 sails (square sails, gaff sails, staysails). Yards in good condition. Steel masts 25 m + 26 m (2007). Topsail schooner rig (2007). Main sail winches (2010). New topgallants and topsails (2015). Manual anchor windlass, working, due for overhaul. 2 anchors. Full set of square-braided mooring lines. Substantial inventory of spares, equipment, and extras (detailed list available at viewing).

REGISTRATION
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. Recent hull thickness measurements on file. German insurance currently in force.

PROJECT REALITY, SAID HONESTLY
VENUS is a project, not a turn-key vessel. Buyers should expect defects and ongoing renovation; this is reflected in the price.
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 being brought back online by the current owner.
Stripped or under renovation: the section between salon and aft (cabin + bathroom); the aft galley currently functions as a workshop.

MAJOR WORK AREAS THE BUYER SHOULD PLAN FOR
Rigging: service required.
Steel work.
Wood work: maintenance, with replacement in some areas.
Interior renovation: completion of stripped sections, plus general.
Deck winches: service required.
Safety systems: testing and service of all installed systems.
Electrical system: service required.

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 3,500,000 DKK. The project price of 120,000 EUR (900,000 DKR) reflects the remaining work.

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
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.
Home port: Marstal, Ærø, Denmark.
Currently lying: Aalborg, Denmark, 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.

MORE ABOUT THE VESSEL
Website (transferred with the sale): https://schoonervenus.com/for-sale/
Video, Venus under sail Hobro to Aalborg, April 2026: youtube.com/watch?v=KWecGvXytbc

CONTACT
Email: ##############@gmail.com
WhatsApp / phone: +45 60 60 36 29

Detailed sales documentation, full provenance, and source materials available to serious buyers on request.