The reconstruction of the historic Dutch East India Company ship Batavia began its final journey on Thursday morning, leaving Amsterdam after spending thirty years in the water, nos.nl reported. Severe wood rot in the submerged hull forced experts to conclude that the replica could no longer remain afloat, according to Omroep Flevoland.
The Final Voyage From Amsterdam to Lelystad
Measuring 56 meters long and weighing 87,000 kilograms, the Batavia traveled from the NDSM shipyard in Amsterdam where it spent nearly two weeks being prepared for land transport, NH Nieuws reported. Crews placed the vessel into a metal support structure before loading it onto a floating pontoon, nos.nl stated. Tugs then towed the ponton across the water toward Flevoland.
Crowds gathered along the banks to watch the cargo navigate through the Oranjesluizen and past Amsterdam Central Station, NH Nieuws reported. Michel Verhoeks, a spectator who traveled from Hoorn to watch the transit, said that seeing the ship on a ponton offered a look at its underbelly. Jan Kuperus, who helped build the keel when construction began in 1985 under Willem Vos, also watched from the shore.
Permanent Land Placement at Museum Batavialand
The ponton carrying the replica arrived in Lelystad around 2.30 p.m. on Thursday, Omroep Flevoland reported. The vessel will not return to the water; instead, it rests on a metal construction, Omroep Flevoland stated. On Friday, the Batavia will be driven across the dike from the ponton and installed next to Museum Batavialand, according to nos.nl and Omroep Flevoland.
The original 17th-century VOC ship sank on its first voyage in 1628 after departing from Texel toward Java, nos.nl and Omroep Flevoland recorded. It overshot its course and wrecked on the reefs of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands in Australia, nos.nl stated. The modern replica was christened by then-Queen Beatrix ten years after construction began in 1985, according to nos.nl.
Documenting Four Decades of Maritime History
Omroep Flevoland announced plans to air a three-part documentary series beginning Friday, October 9, exploring the 40-year history of the replica and the 400-year-old story of the original shipwreck, mutiny, and shipbuilding craftsmanship. The broadcast coincides with the transition of Lelystad’s most famous vessel from a floating exhibit to a land-based display, Omroep Flevoland reported.
Questions Regarding the Batavia Transport
Why is the Batavia being removed from the water permanently?
Experts determined that the ship could no longer stay afloat because the lower hull sections that remained submerged for thirty years suffered from wood rot, nos.nl reported.
How was the ship transported from Amsterdam to Lelystad?
Workers at the NDSM shipyard secured the 87,000-kilogram vessel in a metal frame on top of a floating pontoon, which tugboats then pulled through Amsterdam toward Flevoland, according to nos.nl.
Where will the ship be located permanently?
The Batavia rests on a metal construction and will be driven over the local dike on Friday to its home next to Museum Batavialand in Lelystad, Omroep Flevoland stated.
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