Tradewind (schooner)

SV Tradewind in Sydney Harbour 1990
History
Netherlands
Name	Sophie Theresia
Builder	Van der Vuijk shipyard, Capelle aan de IJssel, Netherlands
Launched	1911
Renamed	1952, to Aaltje en Willem
Fate	Sold to New Zealand owner in 1986
Notes	Initially a herring lugger, later used as a coastal trader
History
New Zealand
Acquired	By New Zealander Mark Hammond in 1986
Renamed	Tradewind
Fate	Sold to Finnish owner in 1993
Notes	Used for charter voyages in the South Pacific
History
Finland
Acquired	By Christian Johansson of Finland in 1993
Fate	Sold to Dutch owner in 1998
Notes	Used for charter voyages in the Baltic Sea and North Sea
History
Netherlands
Acquired	By Dutchman Kees Rol in 1998
Renamed	1998, to Sodade
Acquired	By Dutchman private owner in 2004
Renamed	2004, back to Tradewind
Status	Active, charter vessel
Notes	Currently being rebuilt under Bureau Veritas class.
General characteristics
Class and type	herring lugger, later topsail schooner
Tonnage	195 tons (displacement)
Length	37 m (121 ft)
Beam	6.85 m (22 ft)
Draft	2.95 m (9.5 ft)
Propulsion	Caterpillar 3408 diesel: 440 shp

The Tradewind is a Dutch topsail schooner. She was built in the Netherlands in 1911 as a herring lugger named Sophie Theresia.

In 1952, she was refitted for use as a coastal merchantman and an engine was added. She was renamed Aaltje en Willem. In the 1970s, when it was no longer economical to run her as a commercial vessel, she was converted to a house-boat, then later to a charter boat.

In 1986, the ship was sold and renamed the Tradewind. She was restored as a topsail schooner. In 1987-88, she sailed from England to Australia as part of the First Fleet Re-enactment for Australia's bicentennial celebrations.

The Tradewind remained in the South Pacific during the late 1980s and early 1990s, based in New Zealand. She was used for charter cruises to the Sub-Antarctic islands south of New Zealand, and around Fiji. During this period, she appeared in the romance adventure film Return to the Blue Lagoon.

Returning from one of the voyages to the Sub-Antarctic Islands the Tradewind ran into a storm south of New Zealand and was struck by a rogue wave. The radar, situated 14 metres above the waterline, was carried away and the charthouse was flooded. The ship was knocked down, with the mastheads in the water, but righted itself. Only one crew member, the helmsman, was on deck at the time the wave struck. He saved himself from being washed overboard by thrusting his arms through the spokes of the wheel, although he was injured.

In late 1991, the Tradewind left New Zealand to sail around Cape Horn to join the tall ship fleet sailing from Europe to America in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. During the voyage to join the tall ship fleet, she visited the Antarctic Peninsula and the Falkland Islands.

After the Columbus celebrations in 1992, the Tradewind returned to England where she was sold to a Finnish owner. She was used for charter cruises around the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

In 1998, the Tradewind was sold to a Dutch owner and renamed Sodade. She was refitted and used for charter cruises in the Cape Verde Islands. By 2003, the condition of the ship had deteriorated and she was laid up in the island of Sal. In late 2003, she was taken over by another Dutch owner to save her from a horrible fate on the Cape Verde Islands. She was sail to and refitted in the Canary Islands. After this refit, she was renamed the Tradewind again. In early 2004, the ship made an atlantic crossing to the carrabian, azores, baltic and eventually back to the Netherlands

In 2006 under the care of "Stichting Loggerbehoud Nederland" a complete refit started again. She is currently being rebuilt under BV class for world wide service. This project should be finished around sept. 2008.

Sources

• Schoonerman Tradewind page
• Tradewind website
• Schauffelen, Otmar (2005). Chapman Great Sailing Ships of the World. Hearst Books. pp. p 242. ISBN 1588163849. Retrieved 2008-10-07. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)