The Ships of Abel Tasman

[flying_dutchman2]

Title: The Ships of Abel Tasman
Author(s): Ab Hoving & Cor Emke with an introduction by Peter Sigmond
Year: 2000
Publisher: Verloren, Hilversum, The Netherlands
Language: English
Edition: First
ISBN: 90-6550-087-1
Pages: 144
Book Type: Softcover
Extra: This box contains a book (Dutch, English or German), 40 printed drawings scale 1:75 and a cd-rom.

The cd-rom includes Plans for both the Heemskerck - yacht and the Zeehaen - fluit for the following metric scales: 1:50, 1:87.5, 1:100 and 1:150.
The plans are in HPLT format. Any decent CAD app. can read this. I use TurboCAD Deluxe 20 and it reads it well.
The cd-rom also includes tabels in Microsoft Excel for Every measurement in Every scale and lots of pictures of the model, paintings of these types of ships and maps.

Summary:
As described in his preserved extract-journal, Abel Tasman had two ships under his command during his memorable voyage to the mysterious 'Southland' in 1642: the yacht 'Heemskerck' and the fluyt 'Zeehaen'. According to historian Peter Sigmond, head of the department of Dutch History of the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum, these ships can be placed in the same rank as ships like the 'Santa Maria', the 'Golden Hind' and the 'Endeavour'. Ab Hoving, head of the restoration department working for Sigmond, built models of these ships. Cor Emke has recorded the entire (experimental) building process on cad drawings. These drawings are not only printed but also recorded on cd-rom.

 

This cd-rom enables the model builder to examine and print each part of the ship in a scale selected by himself. In the book to which the cd-rom belongs, Peter Sigmond describes the historical background of Tasman's expedition. Original illustrations from Tasman's journal, and paintings and pictures of yachts and fluyts illustrate the narrative. The book also offers an analysis of seventeenth-century shipbuilding; an account of how the models were built; a typology of the ships Tasman sailed with and a lot of information from which anyone interested can make his own choice in order to construct his model.

My Personal Interest.
Some of the modelers in this site know that my interests is in Dutch ships, preferably VOC and flat & round bottom boats. For a couple of years I have been looking for boats to scratch built. To start with I am going to built the Statenjacht "Utrecht". From there on I wanted something larger, challenging and historical. As I read anything about the VOC I have been reading a lot about Australia (Anthony van Diemens landt), New Zealand (Named after the Dutch Provence Zeeland) and Tasmania (last name of the explorer). So decided that the Ships of Abel Tasman would be a challenge and different. (I enjoy building boats that very few people built).

I had difficulty obtaining the book, but found out that a member of my local nautical club, Bob F., had the book in possession and was willing to part with it. Purchased the book and have been reading it and studying the plans. The printed plans in the book are in scale 1:75 which is of a good size.   If I am energetic enough I may do the boats in scale 1:50.  I plan to do the jacht 'Heemskerck' first and when I have more experience with building do the fluit 'Zeehaen' last. The fluit looks so odd to me. Small waist (deck), big buttom (hull). Pear shaped boat with a large cargo bay near the waterline and a narrow deck.

For the members of this site that do not know what the purpose of a fluit was is the following: The Dutch had to pay high taxes to Denmark which was assessed based on the area of the main deck and this is how the fluit came about.  It was not built for conversion in wartime to a warship, so it was cheaper to build and carried twice the cargo, and could be handled by a smaller crew.

 

Minimized or completely eliminated its armaments to maximize available cargo space. Construction by specialized shipyards using new tools made it half the cost of rival ships. These factors combined to sharply lower the cost of transportation for Dutch merchants, giving them a major competitive advantage. Another advantage was a shallow draft which allowed the vessel to bring cargo in and out of ports and down rivers that other vessels couldn't reach.  The fluit gained such popularity that English merchants build similar looking ships.

Here is a link of a person in Germany that built the Zeehaen. Excellent built.
http://www.modelships.de/Fluyt-Zeehaen/Photos-ship-model-fluyt-Zeehaen_details.htm

Thank you for reading.
Marc

[Piet]

Hoi Marc,

 

I too love everything nautical of the Dutch!  VOC and the fishing vessels.  Of course also the naval war ships.  I wish I could afford the purchase price of the many books available, either in Dutch or English.

 

Cheers,

[Piet]

Hi Anthony, yes, I quite frequently browse through Amazon and several other online bookstores, including rare and out of print stores.  Not much luck price wise though but I'm not giving up 

 

Cheers,

[The Ships Cat]

Doubtless you've read it but I'll post the link just incase someone would like to peruse this interesting journal.

 

Abel Janszoon Tasman's Journal

 

http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600571h.html

[michaelpsutton2]

My local library got this one for me. Don't just use the catalog. My local (Mandeville,Louisiana) library can borrow almost anything I need from as far away as the Library of Congress

[flying_dutchman2]

My local library got this one for me. Don't just use the catalog. My local (Mandeville,Louisiana) library can borrow almost anything I need from as far away as the Library of Congress

My library does this as well. Read some older journals/diaries from Dutch sailors on slavers. These books came from a library in Houston and Library of Congress.

So if anyone just wants read about it go to your library first. They are all technologically connected these days and if it is in there database they will get it for you.

I did this with several model building books. I liked some of them and purchased them "used" from Amazon.

 

Marc