The Friesland Shipping Museum, Sneek

22 September 2015

We had heard good reports about the Maritime Museum in Sneek so were looking forward to our visit.  The place is amazing.  Covering an area of 3 or 400 square metres, over three floors and also incorporating the former High School, the museum is very well presented with vast amounts of information about the watery history of Friesland and its intimate relationship with the sea and inland waterways.

One area which caught my eye was the model room - or rather series of rooms.   The first display case contained models of over 50 sailing dinghies, some local to the area and others internationally known, like the Laser for example and - of course - the Flying Dutchman

Flying Dutchman.   Photo from Wikipedia

Here is an overview of the display case:

I thought that the quality of these models was superb, especially considering their scale. A little further on there were larger scale models.   These had an overall height of maybe about a metre.

Zestienkwadraat (16m2) 1931 - and still raced today with fleets of 50 or more

1934 'Pampus' class

General view of the larger model dinghies

And then we arrived at a model of the Royal Yacht, De Groene Draeck (The Green Dragon, I think, although dragon is draak in Dutch).  I don't think I have ever seen a model boat of this quality.   With an appropriate camera, I don't think you could tell the difference between this and the real thing.  She is a Lemsteraak and the original yacht was built in 1957 as a gift from the State to Beatrix on her 18th birthday - hence the sail number VA18.

De Groene Drank 

The yacht herself is actually in the private ownership of HRH Princess Beatrix although there is currently some argument in the Netherlands about who should pay for her  annual maintenance which is usually well into six figures and 'over budget' which itself was recently doubled to €95,000  a year.  The expenses of boat maintenance …   

The sharp end of De Groene Draeck

A little further along there is even a display case about the model makers' art, which I thought was a wonderful idea.   It really brings home how much incredibly skilled workmanship goes into building model boats.

Some of the tools to build your model boat

The exquisite workmanship is not just reserved for classic model dinghies and the Royal Yacht; here is a selection of coasters, working vessels and a 'rondvaart' (sightseeing) passenger ferry:

One of the best museums we have been to.

/Rich