The last Greenlander sailing ship, the bark "THE NORTHERN LIGHT" (NORDLYSET) sailed for 73 years between Denmark and Greenland, only surpassed by the brig "THE WHALE" which sailed for 97 years (1802 – 1899).
The "NORTHERN LIGHT", a vessel of 237 tonnes, was built at Elsinore in 1851. There the Directorate for the Greenland Trade Department bought the ship off the slip in November 1852 and sent it out on its first voyage in the spring of 1853 destined for Uummannaq (Umanak) and Upernavik.
Altogether "THE NORTHERN LIGHT" undertook 111 voyages during the 73 years, hereof 36 years with two annual voyages and 39 years with a single voyage.
She is described both as a noble ship and one of the luckiest of the ships of the Greenland Trade Department.
It has never been laid up for the winter and never received serious damage.
After returning from its second voyage in 1926 (on 3rd October) the ship was laid up and scrapped.
In the summer of 1929 the Danish Ministry of Naval Affairs took over the ship in order to use it as a training ship for cadets. The plan was, however, never realized, and the old bark was sold for scrap in Sweden.
Greenland Philatelic. Stamp issued 2002