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The EUROPA was built in 1911 on the Stülcken wharf in Hamburg, Germany. She was first named as 'Senator Brockes'. The original client who ordered the ship was the State of Hamburg. The ship was built to serve as a light ship on the German river Elbe. Called 'Elbe 3' she indeed served as light ship and later she was first reserve. Until the 1980's it was quite common to see lights ships on hazardous places near river estuaries and sand banks. Light ships were always crewed until the 1980's. But certainly in the late 1980's more and more ships were automated with help of computers and GPS. Slowly but steadily the ships have become a rare sight.
In 1986 the ship was brought to the Netherlands. At the time Hoek Design was consulted for the conversion to a sailing ship. In eight years time the ship was completely renovated and re-rigged. The conversion was both inside and out. Inside the ship all cabins were modelled and of course the galley and common areas were established. Next to that the exterior changed as well: the ship was re-rigged into a three masted barque. This means the first two masts (seen from the bow) are square rigged and the last mast is rigged for and aft. The biggest part of the renovation and refit was done in the Zouthaven in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. At this moment the homeport of the ship is Scheveningen, The Hague, The Netherlands. The ship can house 48 trainees and 16 crew. The EUROPA is an official Sail Training Vessel and has been sailing the 7 seas full-time since halfway the nineties.
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