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Converting English Measurements to Dutch Measurements Given Measurements from Prizes
James C. Bender
2003

I want to focus on East Indiamen, especially the Vogelstruis (the English Estridge).

I believe that Retourschepen had a large rake and thick sides. Our main evidence is the Prins Willem model. English beam measurements are outside the planking, while the Dutch measurements are inside the planking. That causes the Dutch-to-English beam ratio for Indiamen to be close to 1.05, while the more normal Dutch ship had a ratio more like 1.13. The normal Dutch ship would have a Dutch length-to-English length ratio of 1.33. The retourschep would have a greater ratio.

English Name Mathias Estridge ? Rosebush
Dutch Name St.Matheeus Vogelstruis Oranje Rozeboom
Date Captured 1653 1653 1665 1653
Date Built ? 1640 1643 ?
English Gundeck Length (est.) 137 ft-6in 152 ft-8 in, est. 162 ft-6in, est. 107 ft, est.
English Keel Length 108 ft 116 ft 123 ft-6in, est. 84 ft
English Beam 32 ft 36 ft-3 in 36 ft-3 in, est. 24 ft-6 in
English Depth 15 ft 17 ft 17 ft, est. 11 ft-6 in
Dutch Length 144 ft 160 ft 170 ft 118 ft
Depth Beam 36 ft 38 ft 38 ft 27 ft
Dutch Hold ? 18 ft 18 ft, est. 12-1/2 ft
Dutch/English Length 1.333 1.379 1.377 est. 1.405
Dutch/English Beam 1.125 1.048 1.048 est. 1.102
Dutch/English Depth ? 1.059 1.059 est. 1.087

The retourschepen (East Indiamen) were long and narrow, as were the frigate-built Dutch warships from the 1630's and 1640's. A radical change came with the building of the Vrijheid in 1651, at Amsterdam. The Vrijheid had a smaller ratio between length and beam. Many later large warships followed this pattern, in the following 15 years.

Name Vrijheid Zeven Provinciën Aemelia
Date 1651 1665 1636
Guns 44-60 80-84 57
Admiralty Amsterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam
Length 134 ft 163 ft 144 ft
Beam 34 ft 43 ft 34 ft
Depth 13.25 ft 16.5 ft 14.3 ft
Length/Beam 3.941 3.791 4.235
Length/Depth 10.11 9.88 10.07
* * *
Name Eendracht Huis te Zwieten Stavoren
Date 1653 1653 1653
Guns 58-73 60-70 32-46
Admiralty Rotterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam
Length 150 ft 146 130
Beam 38 ft 36 32
Depth 15 ft 14 13.5
Length/Beam 3.947 4.056 4.063
Length/Depth 10.0 10.43 9.63
* * *
Name Ridderschap van Holland Provincie van Utrecht Eendracht
Date 1666 1663 1666
Guns 66 64 76
Admiralty Rotterdam Amsterdam Rotterdam
Length 150 ft 145 160
Beam 40 ft 37 42.5
Depth 15 ft 14.5 16
Length/Beam 3.75 3.919 3.765
Length/Depth 10.0 10.0 10.0

The ships built by the two thirty-ship programs from the First Anglo-Dutch War were generally similar in proportions to the Aemelia, rather than the Vrijheid. The admirals, especially Tromp, wanted to build to the Vrijheid model, but they were overruled. The ships built were generally smaller than desired by the admirals, as well. Only two large ships were built (the Eendracht and Groot Hollandia), while the admirals would have liked more big ships. One proposal was for larger ships.

Number 10 10 10
Length 150 ft 140 ft 136 ft
Beam 39 ft 37 ft 36 ft
Depth 15 ft 14 ft 14 ft
Orlop 7.5 ft 7.5 ft 7 ft
Length/Beam 3.846 3.784 3.778
Length/Depth 10.0 10.0 9.71

As you can see, these are Vrijheid-like proportions.

What was actually planned to be built were narrower and smaller:

Number 1 10 19
Length 150 ft 136 ft 130 ft
Beam 38 ft 34 ft 32 ft
Depth 15 ft 14 ft 13.5 ft
Orlop 8 ft 7.5 ft 7 ft
Length/Beam 3.947 4.0 4.063
Length/Depth 10.0 9.71 9.63

In the end, this was not followed exactly, as there was more variation in size, and Amsterdam built some larger ships, although only to a 140 foot-charter. The Amsterdam was 140 ft x 34.5 ft x 14 ft; the 44-gun Hollandia was long and narrow (142 ft x 32.5 ft x 14.5 ft).

The 60-ship program started in 1664 was for Vrijheid-like ships, generally. The authorities had 11 years to reflect on the navy's needs, and they were more ready to spend whatever was necessary to have a competitive battle fleet. The Battle of Lowestoft only reinforced that lesson. Many of the new, larger ships were in service for the Four Days Battle. The readiness to build better ships carried the Dutch through the succeeding two wars (the second and third wars). The Dutch performance further improved, once they had solved the political problem and installed Willem III as king. The stewing Republican-Orangist problem always loomed as an issue, until then.

Published Sources:

  • Fox, Frank, Great Ships: The Battlefleet of King Charles II, Greenwich, 1980.
  • Ketting, Herman, Prins Willem, Bielefeld, 1981.
  • Vreugdenhil, A., Ships of the United Netherlands, 1648-1702, London, 1938.

Unpublished Sources:

  • Nationaal Archief (Den Haag) 1.03.02 Inv. No. 8, Directors' ships from January 1653.
  • Personal communication from Herbert Tomesen, Artitec, regarding the East Indiaman Oranje.
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