Batavia Replica Arrives arrives at Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam for Preservation

On September 19, the Batavia, a 56-meter replica of the original 17th-century vessel of the same name, arrived at Damen Shiprepair, Amsterdam (DSAm). In the coming days, the vessel will be positioned in the yard's Dock 4 and lowered into a cradle, purpose-built by DSAm's, sister company, Niron Staal, in which she will be displayed at the Museum Batavialand in Lelystad.

Keeping tradition alive

The vessel was constructed between 1985 and 1995 by Willem Vos, based on the original Batavia, a Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship from 1628. In constructing the vessel, Willem Vos employed traditional techniques and materials.

The Batavia's arrival at DSAm, brings the vessel's story full circle; it was from Dock 4 that the vessel was first lowered into the water on April 10, 1995. Following the launch, the vessel was towed to the museum in Lelystad, where she has served as a living monument to craftsmanship for the past 31 years.

Now, in order to preserve this important piece of Dutch maritime heritage for future generations, the vessel is being brought ashore. To enable this, the museum contracted Niron Staal to construct a cradle, comprising 90 tonnes of steel.

The company constructed the cradle at its location at DSAm, over a period of two months. Following this, the cradle was blasted and painted with support from local industrial surface treatment specialist, Braspenning. With the steel work completed, Museum Batavialand then added timber to the cradle in order to provide the vessel with a cushioned landing.

In preparation for the vessel's arrival, DSAm lifted the cradle onto a transport pontoon, which was then submerged in the yard's 450 x 39 meter Dock 4, from where the Batavia was originally introduced to the water in 1995. The dock's 8-meter draught makes it one of the few locations in the Netherlands able to facilitate such a project, due to the combined draught of the pontoon and the ship.

Soft, slow landing

In the coming days, the Batavia will be towed into the dock and positioned above the cradle.

DSAm will then pump the dock dry, slowly lowering the Batavia into her cradle. At this point, the yard will pump the water from the pontoon's ballast tanks before refloating it, together with the vessel, ready for her voyage back to belystad.

Before this, however, the Batavia will be positioned alongside the jetty at DSAm. Over a period of several days, a team of volunteers, on behalf of the Museum Batavialand, will remove the 20-kilogram lead ballast pigs that were required to stabilize the vessel when she was positioned in the water.

Once the ballast has been removed, the Batavia will be towed to the museum, where she is scheduled to be brought ashore on October 1 using SPMTs.