Puchase of NEPTUN

The story of buying, rebuilding and running a schooner started in Marstal harbour in the autumn of 2022 when Anders and Tobias discovered they had a common interest in sailing around the world. The spark was created and from there it went fast.

The rest of the year was spent researching the market for ships, and eventually every ship between 18-24 metres in waterline length for sale in the world was known. A large network was called out and many rings put in the water until the NEPTUN, formerly the Bonaventura, was found. A few days later Anders and Tobias had contacted the broker and were on their way to Holland to inspect the ship. The ship was good - big, strong and so it was built as a pilot boat, better ship for a circumnavigation hardly exists.

After many weeks of negotiations with the previous owners of NEPTUN, the purchase contract was drawn up and the wild process of the purchase began. The ship had to be inspected, it had to be put ashore, the steel had to be measured and it had to be prepared, something that was only achieved when a large team of volunteers travelled to Holland to have the ship prepared.

The journey home was through the North Sea in December, under enormous time pressure, the ship had to be home before Christmas as agreed with the previous owners, being stranded in Holland was not an option.

The preparation took 3 weeks and would have been impossible without the great help of the volunteer team.

The trip was tough, the weather was bad all the way through the North Sea, the crew and ship were well tested and everyone could breathe a sigh of relief as they entered the Kiel Canal.

On arrival in Marstal there was celebration and colour. Marstal Småborgerlige Sangforening, a well known large association of seafarers turned out in force to welcome the ship, people from all over the island and the maritime world were ready to receive a new Marstal Skonnert. The schooner was moored at the Museum Quay, at the Marstal Maritime Museum, where the ship is still berthed, and will remain berthed throughout the construction phase.

Shortly after receiving the ship, Fyns Amts Avis covered the story which can be read here

There has already been one big working weekend, and there are many more in the pipeline. As early as Saturday, 11 February, a team of 7 volunteers, some former school ship students, will arrive to stay for a week to help the project get underway in earnest.