Gratia's history - from luxury yacht to school ship

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | The sailing ship Gratia was built back in 1900 and has had an eventful life to say the least. She has changed both name, owner and homeland, been a private pleasure yacht and eventually became a school ship in Sweden. We ourselves have had the privilege of sailing with Gratia in the Stockholm archipelago – but here we delve into the fascinating history of the ship.

Gratia was built as Bertha in 1900

The story begins on the Isle of Wight in England in 1900. The ship was built at the H. Hansen & Co shipyard and was originally called Bertha. The customer and first owner was JK Soames.

Bertha was built as a pleasure yacht and rigged as a yawl. In her early years, she was based in Southampton, but it would turn out that she had a long and wandering life ahead of her.

Bertha becomes Asian

In 1916 the ship was purchased by the Frenchman Maurice Delahaye. Bertha left England, made her new home on the French west coast and was renamed Asian.

Over the following decades, the ship changed owners several times and was also rebuilt. Among other things, an engine was installed, which of course changed the conditions for the old sailing yacht. In 1936, she was given yet another new name: Blue Shadow. And it wouldn't be the last.

Blue Shadow becomes Cinderella

In 1938 the ship was bought by Einar Hansen and renamed Cinderella. She was rebuilt and allowed to continue her life as a pleasure yacht, now painted white and re-rigged as a schooner.

The story we heard when we sailed with Gratia also told of a lavish interior, to say the least, including a bathtub and a grand piano. It is a fantastic story, but we have not found these details in the current history of the Sailing School and therefore let them remain as part of the stories surrounding the ship.

What is certain, however, is that Einar Hansen would eventually become crucial to the ship's future.

Einar Hansen donates the ship to the Sailing School

In 1964, Einar Hansen wanted to get rid of Cinderella and thought that Swedish Cruiser Club Sailing School Foundation could be a suitable new owner. There was just one problem. The sailing school couldn't afford it.

Hansen then offered to donate the ship, but even that didn't solve the situation. In order to use the old yacht as a school ship, an extensive conversion was required, and the Sailing School lacked the funds for that as well.

The solution was unusual: Einar Hansen not only donated the ship itself, but also contributed financially to its refit and rebuilding for its new life. Now the Sailing School could accept.

That's why the ship was named Gratia.

When the Sailing School took over the ship, Cinderella was given yet another new name: Gratia.

The name was chosen as an expression of gratitude for Einar Hansen's generous gift and support. It was of course a good fit for a ship that would now leave life as a private pleasure yacht behind and instead be used to teach new generations to sail. Since 1964, Gratia has been part of the Swedish Sailing Club's Sailing School.

Gratia is being converted into a training ship

Transforming an old pleasure yacht into a functioning training ship was no small project. Gratia was gradually adapted to her new role, and in the 1970s she was re-rigged as a ketch. The interior was also changed to accommodate students and officers.

Instead of a comfortable life as a private yacht, Gratia would now become a place for sailing, seamanship, navigation, community – and quite a few people in a fairly limited space. That is how she is still used.

On board, the students are not just passengers. They participate in the work and sailing maneuvers together with the captain, just like we ourselves got to do when we sailed with Gratia in the Stockholm archipelago.

READ MORE: Life on board the sailing ship Gratia

An old ship that still sails

The fact that Gratia is still in use is quite fascinating considering her age.

The sailing school's ships are used to teach young people and adults sailing, seamanship and navigation. Behind the operation there is also a large voluntary commitment. The officers work voluntarily and enthusiasts spend a lot of time looking after and maintaining the old ships even when they are not out sailing.

Gratia has her home port in Gothenburg, but sails in various directions in Swedish and Scandinavian waters. We met her in Nynäshamn and sailed through the Stockholm archipelago before ending our tour at Strandvägen in central Stockholm.

Gratia turns 125

In 2025, it would have been a full 125 years since Gratia was built on the Isle of Wight.

Keeping a wooden ship from 1900 sailing requires a lot of work, of course. In connection with the 125th anniversary, the Sailing School therefore initiated a major project for the future of Gratia. The aim is to equip and renovate the ship so that she can continue sailing for many years to come.

In 2026, Gratia sailed to Stockholm, where she was moored at Strandvägen for parts of the spring and summer. At the same time, she continued to be used for the Sailing School's courses and other sailings. For a ship that was launched when Oscar II was King of Sweden, that is quite impressive.

From private pleasure yacht to training ship

When Gratia was built in 1900, it was hardly thought that more than a century later she would still be sailing with new generations on board. Along the way she has been called Bertha, Aziade, Blue Shadow and Cinderella. She has moved between countries, changed owners, been re-rigged and gone from private pleasure yacht to Swedish training ship. And the story still continues.

For us, Gratia became much more than just an old ship to look at from the dock. Over a long weekend, we got to board and experience what it's like to sleep, eat, work and sail aboard her. And yes – we also got to experience that there are many, many strange words to learn on a sailing ship.