Kicking Around Dutch Waterfronts

The work of putting together the Calendar of Wooden Boats is not all work. To find wider-ranging examples of beautiful boats to feature, the team has left no stone unturned; in other words, they’ve done a lot of travelling. In the late summer of 1990, Anne and Maynard Bray accompanied photographer Ben Mendlowitz (who publishes the calendar) on a tour through Europe to capture scenes and stories.

One leg of the trip found them in the Netherlands, where they discovered numerous examples of traditional Dutch sailboats. These are a captivating sight, with their varnished oak hulls, whimsically curved stems, and teardrop-shaped leeboards which when pivoted out of the water resemble shields on the rail of a Viking longship. The CWB team were all impressed by the meticulous care given to these boats by their owners.

During the Holland jaunt, the trio got a spontaneous invitation to join local boat-owning friends on a weekend cruise on the canals. Maynard recalls that the scene unfolded quickly due to the schedule of a bridge being raised for the last time that day so that they were rushed aboard their hosts’ boats. He and Anne had brought along an oversized, metal-frame backpack for their belongings which barely fit below deck. The situation was explained to the Brays as they passed under the bridge: they and Ben were heading to a traditional boat rendezvous next day and would be spending a couple of nights onboard. This turned out to be an unforgettable experience!

Also noteworthy: the three visited a yard where shipwright Willem Vos and his crew were building a replica of the massive (and ill-fated) Dutch East India Company ship, Batavia, which sank during her maiden voyage in 1629. Vos had found funding for the construction in 1985; it was devised as an employment project for young people. At the time Maynard took these photos, the builders were five years into the ten-year project. When finished, the replica matched the original in particulars and stunning detail, including many finely-carved figures adorning the hull. She was massive: 186’ long, 34’ of beam, and a displacement 1200 tons.

Image Captions provided by Maynard Bray

Anne Bray on the foredeck of the Staverse Jol (a brand of Dutch steel-hulled sailing yacht) we were invited to cruise aboard at Veenhoop, site of the traditional boat gathering.

One of several lovely Dutch Boeiers that we saw on our canal cruise.

We met a variety of cruising craft enjoying the Dutch canals.

Shallow and wide, with plenty of sail area, these craft are ideal for the canals where there’s no need for seagoing ability.

Anne Bray and Ben Mendlowitz toast our arrival at the Veenhoop festival.

Masts are so well balanced that only a slight pull or slackening pivots them.

Loose-footed mainsails, always with curved gaffs, are typical—as are bowsprits that can swing upwards.

Ah yes—the bridges of which there are many. That’s why masts are easily lowered for passage at will.

I had never seen a ship being built that was this big, requiring massive timbers of oak.

The yard surrounding Batavia was filled with timber and the machinery used to fashion it into useable pieces.

On deck of the huge wooden replica ship Batavia whose construction, overseen by Willem Vos, was well advanced.

Browse Images