The original Korneliske Ykes II was designed and built in 1872. For decades, the ship sailed from the south-western corner of Friesland to the Thames in London to sell live eels. Eventually, this original ship was scrapped. By around 1950, this type of vessel had completely disappeared. Between 2005 and 2009, a replica of this vessel was built in the Frisian water sports village of Heeg. Thanks to this replica, this piece of maritime trading history has been brought back into service.