Frederik den Sjette was a paddle-wheel steamer, built in 1830 for the merchant Lauritz Nicolai Hvidt of Copenhagen.

But in 1829 Hvidt was ready to order the steamship from Peter Jørgensen, a shipbuilder at Jacob Holm's shipyard in Christianshavn, and the keel was laid on December 5.

No Danish enterprises could provide steam engines for marine use, so the machinery was ordered from Maudslay, Sons and Field in London, arriving to Denmark in May 1830.

On March 29, 1830, the Adresseavisen wrote that Caledonia would commence its weekly departures for Kiel, beginning on Tuesday, April 20, and continue until relieved during the summer by a larger steamship, presently being built.

[5] The first trip to Kiel took place on July 26, and an advertisement in Kiøbenhavns Kongelig alene priviligerede Adresse-Contoirs Efterretninger ("Adresseavisen") on July 20 informed the public that the new, larger vessel would not take the usual route west of the island of Møn, but would avoid the shallow waters of Bøgestrømmen and go east of Møn.

The monopoly only counted for ships departing from Copenhagen, and a new company started a route to Kiel from Karrebæksminde, on the opposite side of Zealand.

In that agreement, the Danish state had promised to build a ship to serve on the route between Copenhagen and Stettin, carrying passengers, goods and mail.

The buyer was the merchant A. Fibiger of Copenhagen, who had spotted a business opportunity: On June 23, the steamship Königinn Caroline Amalie had hit a large stone in the waters between Omø and Agersø.

Now a ship was needed to fill in on the route between Flensburg and Copenhagen, and that is why Fibiger bought Frederik den Sjette.

[12] The turn of events were extensively covered by the Danish press, and Berlingske Tidende concluded: An unlucky star seems to preside over the steamship service between Copenhagen and Flensburg.