The Europeans Arrive - the Portuguese and the Dutch
T’Weseltje: small ship in a wide ocean
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T'Weseltje – Dutch Gallion
Ship model
Built in 1695, ' Weseltje was the smallest ship of Willem de Vlamingh's fleet, accommodating only fourteen people. Laurens Teunisz.
Zeeman, skilled in navigating galliots, commanded 't Weseltje from Holland to the Cape of Good Hope where he died on 15 September 1696. Cornelis de Vlamingh, Willem's 18-year-old son, was made the new commander. For the voyage to the Southland 't Weseltje carried three sets of the important charts, details of which are listed in archival documents.
Adrian de Jong painstakingly researched the details of the ship to make his 1.10 scale model, which took nearly two years to complete.
Length: 66 ft 63/4 in (18.65 m)
Width: 16 ft 7 in (4.66 m)
Draught: 8 ft 10 in (2.49 m)
1 Amsterdam foot (voet) = 0.283 m
1 inch (duim) = 1/11 foot = 0.025 m
Deep Dives
Ship model - t'Westltje, Dutch galliot, lent by Adriaen de Jong.
Credit: WA Museum