The Den Store Bjørn schooner was built in 1902 at N.F. Hansen shipyard in Odense. Initially the vessel was a floating beacon No 18. The schooner is 33.6 m long and 6.4 m wide. From the moment the schooner was built she was equipped with a radio station and her ports were Horns Rev (1902-1915, 1933-1935, 1975-1976), Grådyb (1927-1930) and Vyl (1930-1932, 1960).
The Den Store Bjørn participated in both the first and the second world wars. After the second WW the schooner was used as a patrol vessel in the Esbjerg region.
In 1980 the Den Store Bjørn was sold to Tvind, which put everything in order, equipped the 3-mast fore-and-aft schooner and have been maintaining her current state.
When keel reinforcements were taken off both sides (earlier needed for the functions of a vessel being used as a floating beacon) the schooner became much lighter with her quite gracious hull lines and rigging on 33-meter masts.
Den Store Bjørn is a typical 100 year old sailing ship with a function of a beacon and correspondingly reinforced hull. The first vessel of this type was laid down in 1837 in Drogden. It was the time when floating beacons were used to ensure safe navigation. On December 13, 1988, it was the last time such vessel’s 1,000-Wt beam pierced the darkness some 12 miles from Møns Klint. Thus the 160 year long history of floating beacons was finished as they turned out to become unemployed due to fast development of electronics.
Den Store Bjørn is also known as a social & pedagogical project the participants of which should be at least 16 years old to take part in the voyages. The vessel can accommodate maximum 10 pupils, 3 teachers and 5 members of a professional crew.
Den Store Bjørn 8 times participated in Сutty Sark and Tall Ships’ Race. In 1992 she was the first in her class when sailing from Karlskrona (Sweden) to Kotka (Finland). In 1995 she was an absolute winner in her class.
In 1981, 1986 the schooner crossed the Atlantic Ocean, visited Caribbean islands, Brasilia and USA; in 1988, 1990, 2007 the Den Store Bjørn sailed in the Mediterranean Sea; in 2002-2006 – in territorial waters of Scandinavia.
