Her History as Fishing vessel
The Tecla was once build as herring drifter. A fishing vessel that would roam the North Sea for weeks on end to fill her hull with barrels of herring. The Tecla was build in 1915 as a ketch sailing ship, build without engine or other propulsion except her sails.
These Loggers were being build by the dozen in de early 1900’s, there were streets with more then 3 or 4 dockyards next to each other. Here each builder had his own special design. A design to cary as much fish as possible and still be the fastest of the fleet. Big fishing companies commissioned the build of their ideal hull and rigging to get the first barrel of fish in and sell it at auction.
The Tecla was build in Vlaardingen for the fleet of Katwijk, her fishing number was KW143 and her name when build was ‘Graaf van Limburg Stirum’.
The Tecla fished for 5 years and survived the first world war when many fishing vessel came to an end by bombing. But in 1920 she was layed-up and neglected. In the years she fished there had come a new age, the age of the combustion diesel engine. The build of new vessels with engine continued as the old drifters got to expensive to maintain.
Her history as a cargo ship
In 1935 the Tecla was sold to Denmark and named Marie. She was the pride of the harbour Egernsund. Together with her sistership she was painted white and were fondly known as ‘the white swans of Egernsund’. She carried general cargo
She got her engine build in to make her more up to date and until the late 1970’s she was a working vessel. Her last post of registry in Denmark was Aalborg, here she was renamed Tekla.
In 1985 she was brought back to the Netherlands and reconstruction work was started to get her ready for a life as charter vessel in European waters. In 1989 she was launched as Tecla and started her new career. She sailed to Norway, Denmark, Germany, England, France and Ireland.
In 2006 the Bouwman/Sluik family bought her with the dream of traveling far and wide and maintaining this classic beauty.
