For Sale: The €2,495,000 Resurrection of a Legend—Doggersbank 1900 “Martina”
Stripped to bare steel and reimagined by Zeelander: How a 1985 classic became the most sophisticated hybrid trawler on the market today.
There’s a certain quiet confidence in a vessel that doesn’t beg for attention. Doggersbank 1900 “Martina” isn’t overtly flashy, but anyone who knows their way around a pilot house will immediately understand her lineage. She’s all proportion, purpose and poise. Originally designed by Vripack’s legendary Dick Boon, her lines tell a story long before you step aboard. And while the Doggersbank name has been synonymous with North Sea seaworthiness for decades, Martina takes the concept into new waters entirely.
Launched originally in 1985, she was rebuilt from bare steel by the formidable Zeelander Yachts in 2018 and relaunched in 2019. This wasn’t a refit. It was a resurrection. Every element was reimagined with the restraint and sensibility you’d expect from a premium Dutch yard that understands both craftsmanship and modern expectations. What emerged is one of the most refined 19 metre steel trawlers ever offered on the brokerage market. A vessel that bridges tradition and innovation with real authenticity.
From a naval architecture standpoint, Martina carries all the hallmarks of serious offshore design. Her hull is round bilged and heavy displacement, with a box keel that improves tracking, stabiliser performance and underwater protection. She displaces 45 tonnes, a weight that reflects her steel construction and robust engineering, but also contributes to her sea keeping. She’s not a boat that rides on top of the ocean. She moves through it with composure, elegance and confidence.
Power comes from a single Volvo D9-MH producing 355 horsepower, driving a five bladed fixed propeller through a hydraulic gearbox and oil bath shaft system. She cruises comfortably at 8 knots and reaches a top speed of 10 knots. With a fuel capacity of 7,750 litres (2,047 US gallons) plus a 250 litre (66 US gallon) daytank, and efficient displacement hull design, she offers a range of approximately 1,750 nautical miles at cruising speed.
This makes her well suited to long passages and autonomous cruising. A built-in fuel polishing system further enhances reliability by ensuring clean diesel delivery across all operating conditions. But what truly distinguishes her is the integration of a 15 kW Baumüller electric motor, enabling hybrid diesel-electric cruising for quiet operation in sensitive anchorages or harbours. That hybrid approach is more than just technical garnish. It speaks to a deeper ethos, one of efficiency, innovation and the kind of measured approach to systems engineering that experienced owners appreciate.
Stabilisation is handled by zero speed electric fins. Auxiliary power is delivered via twin Kohler generators, and all electrics are overseen by a Mastervolt battery and inverter system that wouldn’t look out of place on a much larger yacht. The engineering spaces are exceptionally well organised, with bilge access, tankage and mechanical systems clearly laid out for long term serviceability. She’s a coastal explorer yacht built to cruise for decades, not just seasons.
Step aboard and the exterior gives little away. Her sheer is graceful, her superstructure classically Doggersbank. The synthetic teak decks are clean and warm underfoot, while the hydraulic mast and flybridge helm station give her a touch of expedition readiness. Aft, the cockpit is something of a surprise. Intimate, lounge-like and immaculately detailed. The hydraulic gangway doubles as a dinghy davit, another smart execution of space aboard a yacht where every metre matters.
Inside, the pilot house feels like the command centre of a far larger vessel. Visibility is superb. The helm is flanked by twin pedestal chairs, and the joinery is executed in satin teak with cream leather seating and thoughtful details like floor heating and reverse cycle air conditioning. It’s understated, modern and seamanlike.
Below, Martina opens up. The lower salon is something special. Curved leather banquettes surround a compass rose dining table. The galley is more bar than kitchen, with Miele appliances, ample refrigeration and bar stools tucked neatly into a radius edged counter. There’s a warmth here, a richness in atmosphere that only comes from yachts designed to be lived in rather than just looked at.
Accommodation includes a forward master with French bed, two generous guest cabins (one double, one twin with bunks), and two well appointed bathrooms with electric heads and separate showers. Throughout, the attention to detail is unwavering. It’s not overdone. It’s not pretending. It just feels right.
This is a yacht for someone who appreciates lines drawn with intention. For someone who values silence underway, or a solid push of power when needed. For an owner who wants to cross the North Sea, explore the Baltic, or spend a summer between Stockholm and Sardinia and who wants to do it without compromise.
Doggersbank 1900 “Martina” isn’t a new design. But she is a new yacht in every meaningful way. Rebuilt with passion, engineered with precision and presented in exceptional condition, she’s ready for her next voyage. And whoever takes her on will be owning more than a boat. They’ll be taking on a piece of Dutch design history that still has many miles ahead of her.
Martina is currently for sale with an asking price of €2,495,000, which is approximately $2,720,000 USD or £2,150,000 GBP. She is lying in the Netherlands and will be featured in an upcoming video on my next visit there.
The video will, of course, be published on my YouTube channel. In the meantime, I have added her to the Yacht Buoy website as a boat I would personally recommend to anyone in the market for a vessel of this calibre.
She stands out not only for her build quality and systems integration but because she reflects the rare balance of tradition, practicality and timeless design that defines my curated list of exceptional boats. She is a rare opportunity to acquire a truly exceptional steel trawler yacht with heritage, capability and immense charm.
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