About
━ Witsen
━ Shipbuilding
The techniques of Dutch shipbuilding were first described in all their facets by the Amsterdam mayor, jurist, cartographer, and collector Nicolaes Witsen (1642-1717) in his book ‘Aeloude en Hedendaegse Scheepsbouw en Bestier’ from 1671. It is a thick and difficult-to-comprehend book, and only a few have read it entirely.
Witsen used a medium-sized example ship for his account, with characteristics that applied to both merchant ships and warships. Therefore, his ship is the key to almost all ship types of all sizes that sailed during his time.
In this program, a reconstruction of the ‘pinas of 134 feet’ is shown, which Witsen described in detail. The user can take a virtual tour through the ship, view all parts separately, with Witsen’s original texts provided, and the specific Dutch construction method is interactively demonstrated. The program is thus intended for both professionals and amateurs, for historians, maritime archaeologists, model builders, and anyone generally interested in shipbuilding.
As a result of the abundant material, it has become a heavy program, which takes time to download each part. However, to avoid the recurring waiting times, the user can also download the entire program at once and store it on their own hard drive. This not only reduces waiting time but also provides greater detail.
Witsen’s book can be read online via the link placed next to this text. Since the book is often mentioned in the same breath as that of Cornelis van Yk from Delfshaven, published in 1697, that book is also available online through the corresponding link.
"Waer menigvuldichheit van saken t'voorschijn treedt, daer is nauwleydigheyt en yver vereyscht om de kennisse en welstand van d'gemeynte te bevorderen."
"Where manyfold matters arise, there is diligence and fervour required to advance the knowledge and well-being of the commonwealth."
The Origin of
Witsen Shipbuilding
Ab Hoving (head of the Restoration Department of Marine Models at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, from 1989 to 2012) built a model of Witsen’s example ship in the 1980s, and as a result of the long study required before and during its construction, this led to unique knowledge of 17th-century Dutch shipbuilding methods. In 1994, he published the translated information from Witsen, both in text and images, in the book Nicolaes Witsens Scheeps-Bouw-Konst Open Gestelt, published by Van Wijnen Publishing in Franeker. In 2012, the English translation (by Alan Lemmers) was released under the title Nicolaes Witsen and Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age, published by A&M University Press in College Station, Texas.
