S/V Labora was built in 1939 in Esbjerg, Denmark, as a traditional Danish Hajkutter—one of the famously tough North Sea cutters built to work year-round in the roughest seas on earth. In the 1980s, she was completely rebuilt at Randers Shipyard at a cost exceeding €800,000, converting her from a commercial fishing vessel into a capable and beautifully finished private yacht while preserving her solid oak-on-oak hull, copper-sheathed bottom, and teak decks and interior.
Since then, Labora has lived an active life as both home and passage-making vessel. Structurally, she remains extremely sound—her hull, engine, and major systems are all solid—but she now needs immediate attention and fresh capital to bring her back to her proper standard. A two-month refit will be required to make her fully ready for ocean service again: pulling both masts for minor woodwork and varnish, hauling out for recaulking and inspection under the copper, renewing zincs, batteries, and pumps, servicing hydraulics and paintwork, and recommissioning several electrical and plumbing systems. The estimated work budget is $50,000–$75,000, which will return her to a strong, safe, and reliable condition for long-distance voyaging.
Once completed, Labora becomes an exceptional platform—part yacht, part small ship. Her gaff ketch rig with square sail, staysails, and jibs is traditional and efficient; her engine and hydraulics make her powerful and maneuverable; and her pilothouse, heating, and tankage make her ideal for extended independent operation.
Comparable Hajkutters that have been fully restored or converted for charter and training consistently command mid–six-figure values in Europe and the U.S. For the right buyer willing to invest the time and capital, Labora represents a rare chance to own and complete a vessel whose quality and heritage are far beyond her current price.
She is a true North Sea ship—built to work, ready to travel anywhere in the world once recommissioned, and unmatched in character, strength, and potential.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATON
Accommodation
- Three cabins, two heads, ten berths
- Captain’s Cabin: Double berth (190 cm x 140 cm)
- Forepeak Cabin: Up to four single bunks, each 200 cm long
- Galley Cabin: Two wide single bunks (200 cm x 170 cm)
- Main Saloon: Seats 8–10; one table folds down into a 190 cm x 100 cm berth
- Pilothouse: Table with two benches, one serving as a 180 cm x 55 cm watch bunk
- Deck Rating: Licensed for up to 40 day passengers (15–20 realistic for comfort)
- Headroom ranges between 5’11” and 6’4” throughout — the vessel includes two heads, hot water, and a diesel-fired hydronic heating system with copper piping for radiant heat
- Headroom between 5’11” and 6’4”
- Seating for up to forty people
- Pilothouse with full navigation and steering
- Galley with gas stovetop, refrigerator, freezer, and additional gas stove and grill on the aft deck
- Hot water
- Diesel-fired hydronic heating system with copper piping
- Radiant heat throughout interior
- First aid kit
Interior Comforts and Amenities
- Teak interior joinery
- Diesel heater
- Hot water
- Refrigerator/Freezer (220v)
- Gas stove in galley
- Additional gas stove and grill on aft deck
- Pilot house for sheltered navigation
- Open aft “winter garden” seating area with hard cover
- Ample salon and galley space below
- Workshop with vice in the engine room
Electronics and Navigation
- Autopilot (needs new hydraulic pump)
- WAAS GP37 GPS
- Raymarine open array, 40-mile range Radar
- Compass
- EPIRB (expire 2027)
- VHF radio
- Furuno (operational, vintage) Depth sounder
- Deck lights
- Search lights (electrical and manual)
- Spinning rain window in pilot house
Electrical Systems
- 24V and 12V DC, 230V AC 50Hz
- 2000W inverter (24V to 230V)
- 100A charger (230V)
Set up for three battery banks:
- #1 two AGM 8D (good)
- #2 four AGM 8D plus starter battery (lead acid)
- 600W solar array on sliding solar frame over davits
- Diesel generator 8 kW (needs repair)
Deck and Hull Equipment
- Hull and Frames: Oak on oak
- Deck: Solid teak
- Interior: Solid teak throughout
- Copper sheathing below waterline
- Watertight bulkhead forward below the waterline
- Laid teak decks
- Teak pilot house and deckhouse
- Tall bulwarks on wooden stanchions
- Butterfly-style hatches and foredeck scuttle hatch
- Numerous cowl ventilators
- Bowsprit with netting
- Two hydraulic anchors with 100m chain each
- Hydraulic windlass with emergency manual crank
- Two winches on deck
- Hydraulic system also drives thruster, windlass, and mast winches
- Davits for skiff
- Liferings
- Two life rafts: one 20-man (exp 2027), one 10-man (out of date)
Sails and Rigging
Eight sails:
- Gaff mainsail with topsail
- Gaff mizzen
- Staysail
- Inner jib
- Flying jib
- Square sail
- Galvanized standing rigging with deadeyes and lanyards
- Bronze and wood pinrails at both masts
- Galvanized chainplates and fittings throughout
- Hydraulic and manual winches at masts
- Traditional gaff ketch rig
Mechanical Equipment
- Main Caterpillar engine very good condition
- Transmission and excellent condition three bladed variable pitch prop
- Hydraulic Bow Thruster
- Large metal bilge pump run off of power take off and v belts from engine
- (2) 24 volt bilge pumps engine compartment and forward compartment
- 230 volt bilge pump
- Hydraulic steering
- Appropriate amount of fire extinguishers throughout the boat
- Engine room has specialized fire suppressant system gas, and monitoring system automation
- Emergency tiller system
- Has hydraulic system running off main engine, operates both thruster windless and two winches on Deck
- The windlass is a hydraulic system with an emergency manual cranking system, it runs two anchors each with 100 m of chain and two anchors that pull up into the bow of the boat Navy style
- Water maker, needs to be put back into operations
- It has a diesel generator 8kw but needs to be repaired
Engine Info
- Main engine: Caterpillar D-333, 300 HP turbo diesel (1977)
- Fresh-water cooled
- Transmission with variable-pitch propeller
- Main engine in very good condition
Tankage
- (4) steel fuel tanks totalling 5,000 liters (approx. 1,320 gallons)
- (2) stainless-steel water tanks totalling 1,200 liters (approx. 317 gallons)
- Lube oil storage and transfer system
Owners Comments and Boat History
When I found Labora in Denmark in 2018, she had already lived many lives. I saw more than a yacht—I saw potential. These vessels are living history: forgiving, strong, and endlessly educational. They demand care and attention but reward their owners with pride and purpose.
A 60-ton, 23-meter ship with seven sails isn’t a solo cruiser. She’s a platform for teamwork, learning, and creativity. Labora would be ideal as a sail-training vessel, charter project, or cultural ambassador, and even capable of small-scale cargo transport. Her construction and rig are suited to teaching traditional seamanship. With her large deck spaces, seating for 40, and authentic working-ship feel, she’s ready for someone who wants to blend history with purpose.
For those who love true craftsmanship and value heritage over convenience, Labora offers something rare: a vessel that turns heads in every harbor, sails with confidence across oceans, and carries a story of endurance that continues to inspire.
Launched in 1939 from Esbjerg, Denmark, Labora was built as a traditional Hajkutter—a wooden fishing cutter that earned Denmark’s shipwrights a reputation for creating some of the strongest small commercial vessels in Europe. These ships were designed to survive the brutal conditions of the North Sea, carrying large loads of fish home through storms that kept lesser boats tied to the dock. Built oak on oak, with full-length timbers, deep keels, and powerful rigs, they were working boats that combined speed, seaworthiness, and grace.
By the 1970s, steel and fiberglass had replaced wood in commercial fleets. Many Hajkutters were destroyed, but a few were saved by sailors who recognized their unmatched craftsmanship and potential as long-range yachts. In the early 1980s, Labora was completely rebuilt at the Randers shipyard at a cost of €800,000, transforming her from a working vessel into a fully capable, ocean-going yacht. The rebuild replaced her deck and interior with solid teak, added copper sheathing below the waterline, and refitted her with a pilothouse, powerful engine, and hydraulic systems. For three decades afterward, she remained preserved and well-maintained in the Danish village of Mariager—a ship waiting for her next life.
These vessels are now legendary among traditional sailors. They are admired for their sheer strength, ability to cross oceans safely, and the timeless beauty of their lines. A Hajkutter at anchor draws attention wherever she goes—harbor masters, photographers, and sailors alike will always stop to talk. Owning one of these ships is not just about travel; it’s about community and connection. Every port brings new friends and admirers, every voyage an invitation to share stories of craftsmanship and adventure.
Disclaimer
The company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change or withdrawal without notice.