Eendracht

Three masted Gaff Schooner

Eendracht is a three-masted gaff-rigged schooner and one of the largest sailing ships in the Netherlands. At 59 metres (194ft) she is a Class A tall ship, and for winter 2027 she brings her guest crew to the Caribbean coast of Panama: San Blas, the Panama Canal entrance and the islands of Bocas del Toro. No sailing experience is required.

There are two styles of voyages.

Active sailing voyage which is a hands-on full watch keeping routine much as I experienced on the STS Malcolm Miller. You basically won’t get a more thorough sail training experience for adults than this. Adults are always surprised at how much they enjoy it.

Sailing Holiday, you will still sail the ship but the routine is more relaxed and there will be more opportunity to go ashore and explore. The Dutch are the masters at this style of sailing.

What makes Eendracht different is that every sail is set, trimmed and stowed from the deck. There are no powered winches, so the work is done by hand in teams, but nobody needs to climb the rigging. That makes her one of the easiest ways into big ship sailing for a first-timer, and still a proper workout for those who have done it before.

She is owned by Stichting Zeilschip Eendracht, a Rotterdam charity. Most of her year is spent sailing with young people and community groups, and the voyages open to adults help fund that work. Guests are treated as crew from the moment they step aboard, and ages range from 12 to 80.

Language

The working language on board is English.

When you can sail on Eendracht

Eendracht spends the northern winter in the Caribbean and returns to European waters for the summer, where she is a regular in the Tall Ships Races. Classic Sailing currently offers her three Panama voyages from 9 January to 4 February 2027. Routes and dates change each year, and current availability is listed below.

Eendracht Sailing Style

On board Eendracht, as on all Classic Sailing holidays, you are not a passenger but part of the guest crew. On the an active sailing voyage you join a watch with the professional crew on a four hours on, eight hours off rota (4 to 8, 8 to 12, 12 to 4), so the ship can keep sailing through the night. You will haul on halyards and sheets, take the helm, keep lookout and help with the daily running of the ship. The crew will teach you everything you need, and no previous experience is required.

On a sailing holiday voyages there are no night watches. The ship sails by day, anchors in the evening and you still lend a hand with the sails whenever she is under way. Sightseeing is more a part of the voyage, giving you more time ashore to explore.

Life on Board

The ship’s cooks provide all meals, and guests regularly single out the food in their feedback. On average, guests rate their trips 8.6 out of 10. A daily briefing explains the plan for the day. The working language on board when international guests are aboard is English. Water, coffee and tea are always available and free. Other drinks are available from the bar. Drinks and souvenirs can be paid by card

In Panama, shore visits are part of every voyage. In the San Blas islands (Guna Yala), the Guna people set their own rules for visitors. including where you may land and when you may take photographs, and the crew will brief you before going ashore.

Below Decks on Eendracht

Cabins

Guest cabins sleep two, three, four or five people. Booking a two-berth cabin costs a little more than sharing a larger one, and cabins are allocated by Eendracht before the voyage. Eendracht’s cabins are noticeably more spacious than on most tall ships.

Each cabin has:

• Hot and cold running water
• Air conditioning
• Ample storage space
• A clothesline
• A porthole (so you have daylight!)

Showers and toilets are located in each compartment, conveniently close to the cabins.

Each bunk has a USBc, and USB port for chargers. Some bunks and the main rooms also have a European two pin socket.

Bar Bill and souvenirs

Your Bar Bill and souvenirs can be paid for by card.

Equipment and Safety

Eendracht is classed with Lloyd’s Register and holds SOLAS, ISM and ISPS certification. She carries a rescue boat and seven liferafts, each for 25 people, far more than her normal complement. A watermaker produces 8 tonnes of fresh water a day. All guest crew receive a safety briefing and drills at the start of each voyage.

 

Built: 1989

Flag: Dutch

Rig: Three masted Gaff Rigged Schooner

Length Overall: 59 m

Beam: 13 m

Draft: 5 m

Areas of Operation: Caribbean, Europe

Number of Guests: Up to 40

Number of Crew: Up to 20

Power on Board: 240v and 24v