Eendracht (1989 ship)

{{Short description|Sailing Ship}}

{{other uses|Eendracht (disambiguation)}}

{{More citations needed|date=May 2016}}

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Eendracht is a three-masted schooner from the Netherlands, built in 1989 at the Damen shipyard after a design by W. de Vries Lentsch.

She is now run on a charter base by Stichting het Zeilend Zeeschip (the Sailing Seaship Foundation) and used as a sail training ship to give young people an introduction to the sea. This is the second "Eendracht", Eendracht meaning 'unison' in the Dutch language). The first vessel run by the same foundation was a two masted schooner, which was sold to German owners and now sails under the name of "Johann Smidt".

The foundation that runs the programme was founded in 1938 but with the second world war disrupting the plans, it took a lot longer than anticipated to raise the funds for the first ship. Soon after the first vessel, originally a topsail schooner, was launched, it was realised that the vessel was too small for the purposes of the foundation. Immediately the planning for a larger three masted vessel began.

This three-masted vessel has sailed continuously since her launch date. Every year she spends the winter months in the south, and the summer in the North Sea region. She has a crew of around 350 mostly professional, volunteers.

On 21 October 1998, Eendracht ran aground at Newhaven, East Sussex, United Kingdom. All 51 people on board were rescued by helicopter.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Helicopters winch crew off stricken vessel |author=Helen Johnstone |date=22 October 1998 |page=3 |issue=66339 |column=D-H }} She was later refloated and returned to service.