She was built in Leith in Scotland in 1932 for the Belgium Maritime Association. She was to be used as a sail training ship for the Belgium Navy as well as for other purposes and was rigged out as a barkentine. She was 770 tonnes with an auxiliary engine, a length of 78.5 metres, a beam of 11 metres and a draught of 4.5 metres. In a good wind she could easily make 13 knots with her sail lay-out. Her first trip was on September 5th; 1932 and up to 1940 she had covered over 161,686 miles. In 1936 she was given the honour of returning the body of the Flemish missionary, Father Damiaan, from Molokai Island to Belgium. She then took on a similar role to "Vindicatrix" in 1943 when she came under the British Admiralty as a submarine depot ship. After WW2 she returned to Belgium, towed by the "Empire Mary", to sail again on the River Scheldt.  She became a sail training ship again in 1951 taking part in many Tall Ships Races and was finally taken out of service in 1960. It was then decided to maintain her as a sailing ship museum and keep her in her original condition to show people what life was like on these vessels.  In 1964 she was brought to the yacht haven in Ostend and has remained there ever since.  The yacht haven was renamed the "Mercator" after her as she dominates the Ostend skyline.