De Tukker is a Dutch North Sea Klipper, or Schoeneraak. She was built in 1912 and worked for many years as a coastal trader, delivering as cargo as wind powered shipping.
After the second world war, the seagoing cargo industry gradually became more motorised, and so did De Tukker. In the 1980’s De Tukker was repurposed and she became one of the most celebrated and well-known sail training vessels in the Netherlands. This was largely for her work with disadvantaged youth.
Unfortunately in 2012, major repairs were needed, which brought this excellent work to an end. In 2022 she was purchased by EcoClipper as the first vessel in their fleet of Sail Cargo ships. Their goal is to ship cargo and passengers around the world in a very climate conscious way.
With her barge-shaped hull and the ability to carry around 70 cubic meters, or an equivalent of 40 to 50 tonnes of cargo De Tukker is the perfect ship for the sustainable shipping.
De Tukker is a very well built ship with beautiful lines and fine details. She has recently undergone an extensive refit to enable to carry cargo, up to 12 guests (Trainees) and 5 professional crew.
Between her Ketch rig, lee-boards and sail cargo, there is plenty to do aboard De Tukker! Her sailing schedule takes her from Norway and the North Sea, down the length of Western Europe to Portugal, with plenty in between.
Length Overall
131ft
Year Built
1912
Vessel Type / Rig
Ketch
Guest Berths
12
Crew Berths
5
De Tukker plies exciting Sail Cargo routes in Western Europe, and her schedule is always varied but always aims to be eco-friendly transport. These are hands-on voyages with cargo to load, lee-boards to manage and plenty of sails to play with!
Hands on Experience
The De Tukker crew are excited to welcome people of all ages on board. However, because of the somewhat basic living conditions trainees needs to be in good health, have good mobility, communicational skills and situational awareness.
If you are looking to reduce your carbon footprint, travel with green logistics, have an experience like no other or just travel from A to B sustainably, then a voyage with De Tukker is the way to go. Cargo carrying voyages are a different kind sailing holiday. The emphasis is on getting the most out of the ship, teamwork and the sense of achievement obtained from loading and landing cargo. If you’re active and adventurous and eager to get hands on with all aspects of delivering cargo under sail, then De Tukker is the perfect ship for you.
Support A Growing Green Industry, low carbon shipping.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the modern shipping industry is a major contributor to climate change. Accounting for up to 4% of all climate change causing emissions – a combined 930 million metric tons of CO2 per year! Thankfully sail cargo vessels are starting a quiet revolution, and change is on the horizon. Sailing ships offer innovative, low (even zero) carbon alternatives to fossil fuel hungry cargo vessels with a combination of state-of-the-art green tech and centuries old methods of harnessing the wind. By booking on to a voyage with De Tukker you’ll be helping to support this green shipping movement and and playing a part in it first hand.
Secluded Ports and harbours
De Tukker will operate a fixed liner service in the North Sea and as far south as Porto for sustainable shipping. With a top speed of 10 knots, cargo will be transported along a route between ports such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, London and Hull in the UK and many more.
Sailing style
De Tukker’s voyages are cargo-carrying. This makes them working holidays, but the benefits of this are countless. You have all of the excitement, camaraderie and learning opportunities you’d get from any traditional sailing holiday, with the added sense of being part of a quiet revolution. Sailing on board you get a real sense of the value of transportation. Warning: it may change the way you shop!
Night Sailing
Sailing on De Tukker will be round-the-clock, and you’ll form part of a watch with the professional crew. This is a fantastic experience. Sailing at night is atmospheric and transporting, with star-gazing opportunities that are second to none. You also get into the real rhythm of life on board, and get to see glorious sunrises and sunsets over the ocean.
Food
With De Tukker striving for sustainability, and having limited refrigerators on board to save energy, meals are standardly vegetarian. If this is an issue do let us know. Regarding special dietary requirements, it is not possible to guarantee that these can be catered for, but the earlier it’s discussed the better. Make sure you include details on your booking form. You will have three freshly cooked meals per day on board, as well as plentiful tea, coffee and soft drinks. There is no bar on board.
Travellers & trainees have their accommodation in the foc’sle (the forward part of the ship). Now, this foc’sle has not changed much since the heyday of sail. Traditionally, this is the place where able bodied and ordinary sailors are housed.
It is a cosy cabin, which can be reached by a small ladder going down a hatch on the foredeck. In the centre of the space, built against the main mast, there is a wooden table with benches. On the walls there are twelve bunk beds in tiers of two and three. In the rear part of the foc’sle are doors to the toilet and shower, which are operated by manual pumps.
Next to the accommodation forward, there is a small rustic galley on the main deck forward of the mizzen mast. This is the heart of the ship. Trainees are welcome to come here for a coffee or give the cook a hand with preparing the food. Finally, the chartroom also has its seating corner which is a good resting place after working the lines and sails.
The plugs on board are the EU type so please bring adaptors if you need them. While underway there will be limited power for charging, but you can charge devices when in port.
Multi National
Crew and trainees are usually from several different nationalities, so the official language on board is English.
Sail the North Sea to Holland DT200623
Embark
Tue 20-06-2023
London
Disembark
Mon 26-06-2023
Scheveningen, The Netherlands
From
€660
Sail Cargo to the Capital DT120623
Embark
Mon 12-06-2023
Torquay, Devon
Disembark
Tue 20-06-2023
London
From
€880
