M.V.Vrijheid is a "stijlsteven aak" (straight bow) barge built in 1922 by Van der Werf of Stadskanal, Holland.
Much of her commercial life was spent plying the River Rhine across Europe, transporting grain and mixed cargoes. In her latter years she carried ballast used for canal building. Originally built as a sailing barge, Vrijheid was later motorised with all the sailing gear removed except the foredeck winch. In trade until approximately 1952, the der Weerd family retired Vrijheid - then called Nomadicsh (Nomad) - converting her into their home and mooring her in Den Helder, North Holland.
On the death of Mr der Weerd, Johanna his wife, found her too large and sadly agreed to sell her to Bruce and Caroline Le Gros in September 1993. The delivery voyage, sailing through Holland and Belgium then across the North Sea to the mouth of the Thames, was a once-in-a- lifetime pleasurable and memorable experience for the new owners. On arriving at their mooring in England, the realisation began to dawn that this extraordinary vessel was going to give them the home, location and lifestyle they had always craved. She has not disappointed them once in the intervening years.
23/01/1922
Christened Twee Gebroeders in the Principality of Groningen, she traded extensively between Holland and Germany on the Rhine. In fact, until two years ago, she still held a valid commercial Rhine licence to transport 22 ton loads!
08/10/1932
Her name was changed to Nomadisch and she was re-registered to the Principality of Meppel. She retained this name right up to up to her retirement on 23/10/1961. Her principal cargoes were bulk and sacked cereals, dry goods and other bulk food products. In her final working years she was slipped and received an extensive uprating to her topsides, gunnels and hatch coamings. It is believed this was done to increase her cargo tonnage.
04/10/1940
Converted to diesel power from sail. The current engine room was the sailing skipper's sleeping accommodation.
23/10/1952
Third owners, Mr & Mrs De Weerd of Den Helder, purchased the vessel for their home, raising four children abroad. She carried the family on holidays throughout the waterways of the Netherlands, resting the remainder of each year in Den Helder Haven. At this time she was slipped for extensive conversion of the hull to living accommodation, tastefully remodelling the topsides with the addition of superstructure including a bathroom, salon and two bedrooms).
03/09/1993
Purchased by Bruce & Caroline Le Gros who sailed her from Zaan Dam in the Netherlands to Reading, UK and later to moorings in Wallingford, Chertsey, Chiswick, currently Barking, East London.
Today, the Vrijheid is well-known on the Thames having travelling on the non-tidal as far as Days Lock near Dorchester and eastwards to Whitstable and Faversham Creek at the mouth of the estuary.