Wylde Swan

Wylde Swan
History
Netherlands
NameWylde Swan
Port of registryDutch
Laid down1920
Launched2010
HomeportMakkum
Identification
General characteristics
Typetopsail Schooner
Tonnage269 GT; 355 DWT
Length63 m
Beam7.5 m
Height43 m
Draught4 m
Installed power480 HP
Sail plan7 sails
Speedmax 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) sail
Capacity120 day sail 36 trainees passages
Crew12

Wylde Swan (West Frisian for "Wild Swan") is a fast sailing vessel originally built in Germany in 1920 as a steam ship. She was designed to work with the German herring fleet, collecting the herring at sea and transporting the fish to market at speed to get the best price. To maximise speed she was built long and narrow, and in keeping with her day had a vertical stem and counter stern.

These features were what attracted Willem Sligting when he saw her, realising she could make a fast sailing vessel.

She was relaunched in June 2010 as a two masted topsail schooner, with worldwide certification as a sail training vessel.