The Batavia ship, a 56-meter replica of the original 17th-century vessel, arrived at Damen Shipyard in Amsterdam (DSAm) on September 19. In the coming days, the ship will be placed in Dock 4 of this shipyard and will be gently positioned on a special carriage constructed by DSAm's sister company, Niron Staal.
Preserving Traditions
The Batavia ship was built by Willem Vos between 1985 and 1995 and is designed based on the original Batavia, which belonged to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1628. In constructing this ship, Willem Vos utilized traditional techniques and materials, and this project has provided an opportunity to teach traditional woodworking and shipbuilding techniques to young people.
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A Project for Future Generations
The arrival of the Batavia at DSAm brings the story of this ship back to the time it was launched from Dock 4 on April 10, 1995. After that, the ship was transferred to the Batavialand Museum in Lelystad, where it has been displayed as a living memorial to artistic skills for 31 years. Now, in order to preserve this important maritime heritage of the Netherlands for future generations, the ship is being brought ashore. For this purpose, the museum has contracted with Niron Staal to build a carriage made of 90 tons of steel.
Niron Staal constructed this carriage on-site at DSAm in two months, and it was then prepared and painted with the help of a local specialist in industrial surface treatment. Once the steel work was completed, Batavialand added wood to the carriage to provide a soft and comfortable landing for the ship.
In preparation for the ship's arrival, DSAm placed the carriage on a transport pontoon, which was then submerged in Dock 4. The 8-meter depth of this dock is one of the few places in the Netherlands that can facilitate such a project. In the coming days, the Batavia will be gently pulled into the dock, and after the water is drained, it will be carefully placed on the carriage.
After these steps, the Batavia will be transferred to the museum and is scheduled to be brought ashore on October 1 using SPMTs.
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