The schooner NEPTUN of Marstal

The schooner NEPTUN is voluntarily operated and mediated by the association Neptun, which has its headquarters in the maritime town of Marstal.

About NEPTUN

NEPTUN was originally built as a pilot vessel in Kiel 1959 just 30 miles from Marstal. In Kiel the ship sailed with pilot until 1966, after which the ship was sold to Poland and renamed DOKER. During the Soviet era in Poland, Western licences were obtained to build Western engines of, among others, the Danish B&W brand and the Swiss Sulzer brand. A Sulzer engine was installed in Gdynia (PL) and the ship was converted to a fishing vessel until the late 1980s. After that the ship changed owners a few times and came into the custody of a Dutch owner, who renamed the ship BONAVENTURA and sailed to Amsterdam. Over almost 30 years, major repairs were carried out on the ship and in December 2022 we bought BONAVENTURA to bring another schooner to Marstal.

Now what?

The purpose of the Neptun Association is to disseminate, pass on and preserve traditional seamanship through sailing on the world’s oceans and through activities that are within the scope of the association’s purpose. The association has entered into a collaboration with Marstal Maritime Museum to disseminate traditional seamanship and create maritime atmosphere and culture at Eriksens Plads during 2023, when a major refit of the ship will take place. This will of course be done with respect for the old craftsmanship, with the intention that visitors to Eriksen’s Square will be able to get up close and look over the shoulders of the activities that will take place.