On April 21, 1905, the Freya , hull number 514, was launched under the name Westerschelde at the J. & K. Smid shipyard in Kinderdijk, The Netherlands, for the Provincial Steamship Service . Her area of operation was the Scheldt River, specifically the waterway to the islands of Zeeland . From 1907, the ship served as a Royal Yacht for Queen Wilhelmina (1890–1948) on Dutch inland waterways.
In November 1933, she was sold to the F. De Clerk shipyard in Terneuzen , which then sold her to PJ Zwaans in 1935. The new owner used the ship as a diesel bunker vessel under the name De Zwaan . From 1965, the De Zwaan served its new owners, the Schless brothers, as a floating shop and refueling station for skippers, until she was sold to Clemens Key in Rotterdam for scrapping in 1988. However, this never happened; the De Zwaan was renamed De Nederlander in 1990 and renovated. After the renovation, the ship was used for exclusive charter trips in the Port of Rotterdam .
View of the command post
In 1999, the shipping company Sven Paulsen of Westerland purchased the paddle steamer and gave it its current name. The new name was intended to commemorate the former steamships Freya and Frisia , which supplied the island of Sylt until 1927, when the Hindenburgdamm causeway was built . Its home port was initially List on Sylt . From November 2000, the Freya was based in Kiel and used for sightseeing cruises. On the occasion of its centenary, April 21, 2005, Kiel became its new home port. From there, it operates as a passenger ship for day trips, mostly on the Kiel Canal .
accidents
On May 2, 1907, the ship, then named Westerschelde, ran aground in the fog with passengers on board. There were no injuries, and the ship could not be refloated until four days later.
Part of the stern was damaged in 1930.
Special features
During World War II, in 1944 the De Zwaan also served as a hiding place for Jews in hiding .
Notable features of its current appearance are the largely wooden superstructure, the one and a half enclosed decks, and a gilded bow decoration.
The amidships funnel bears blue, white, and red rings, below which is the Kiel coat of arms. The ship's name is located centrally on the paddle wheel housings, which feature nine radial cutouts and eight windows. The Freya is powered by a two-cylinder compound steam engine , which, with an output of 140 hp, can accelerate the ship to 8.5 knots . Alternatively, the ship can also be propelled by a 400 hp diesel engine driving a propeller.
Inside the ship, there is a salon for entertaining guests, the special feature of which is a so-called "buffet lift ": The buffet , along with the staff, is raised from the galley on the lower deck.
