20 facts about Oceanwide’s first expedition cruise vessel
It’s not unusual for parents to have a special place in their hearts for their first child, and you could say we feel something similar for s/v Rembrandt van Rijn.
Rembrandt van Rijn, or as we sometimes call her RVR, was the first vessel in our fleet. She spearheaded our Spitsbergen program and has been rebuilt, renovated, and refurbished several times in the years since. This historic lugger takes passengers on some of our most enduringly popular Arctic cruises, especially to Svalbard and northeast Greenland.
But how well do we know her? Here are 20 interesting facts about Rembrandt van Rijn you may not know, because some of them we didn’t know until we wrote this.
Picture by Hasan Akay
The ins and outs of our beloved Rembrandt van Rijn
1. Rembrandt van Rijn was built in 1947 and was originally a herring lugger
2. She was rebuilt as a three-mast passenger schooner in the Netherlands in 1994
3. RVR sailed in Spitsbergen from 1994 – 1996, then in the Galápagos from 1998 – 2001 before taking on its current Arctic programs
4. Rembrandt underwent another complete rebuilding in 2011
5. All of RVR’s communication and navigation equipment has been completely renewed according to the latest SOLAS regulations
Picture by Olga Lartseva
6. The schooner accommodates 33 passengers in 16 cabins and carries 12 crew and staff
7. Rembrandt van Rijn has a length of 49.5 meters (162.4 feet), a breadth of 6.65 meters (21.8 feet), and a draft of 2.8 meters (9.2 feet)
8. She has a strengthened hull for the icy waters she encounters on her Svalbard and Greenland trips
Picture by Sarah-Jane Laubscher
9. When wind power isn’t possible, Rembrandt can use two Cummins engines providing 550 KW of power
10. These engines give the vessel an average cruising speed of 6.5 knots
11. Two inflatable Zodiac boats are kept on board Rembrandt van Rijn for shore landings
Picture by Philipp Schaudy
12. RVR has nine twin private cabins (with a shower, toilet, and porthole window), six twin private inside cabins (shower, toilet, but no window), and one triple private cabin (shower, toilet, and porthole)
13. Simple but delicious international cuisine is served buffet-style on Rembrandt van Rijn three times per day during cruises
14. Dress on board Rembrandt is informal, but you must bring shoes with excellent traction to avoid slipping on exterior decks
Picture by Marcela Numa
15. Electricity on board is delivered at 220 volt 50hz, and outlets are standard European with two thick round pins. Other nationalities may need a 220v / 110v converter
16. Smoking is prohibited inside RVR, but there are designated smoking areas outside
17. Rembrandt van Rijn makes daily landings aimed at three to six hours per landing
Picture by Georges Samaha
18. The vessel’s staff consists of nine ship crew, two expedition guides, and one chef
19. Her very stable ladder will get you from the deck to the water surface for boarding the Zodiacs, but you must be in reasonably good physical shape to use it
20. Rembrandt van Rijn makes Iceland, Greenland and Svalbard cruises
Picture by Tarik Checkchak
