As a freighter with a deadweight of 400 tons, she transported mainly clay, stone and wood, but also herring, bran, potatoes, straw and bananas.

In the 1930s, a heavier diesel engine was installed and some sail-rigging was removed (including the aft mast).

In 1954, she was sold to a Swede, renamed Sylvan and thoroughly rebuilt to a modern motorised coaster.

From 1996 through 1998 she made a trip around the world (route: Red Sea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, New-Zealand, Cape Horn, Antarctic, Açores).

Oosterschelde is currently making a further trip around the world, following the same route as the Beagle with Charles Darwin (https://darwin200.com/globalvoyage/).