Australia: Dutch contribution to Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2017

On 6 December, six Dutch boat construction students and their teacher arrived in Franklin, Tasmania to construct a 16m2 competition sailing boat, which will sail during the festival. The students are keeping a blog on their progress.

Two containers, the Frisian and the Orange, are currently on their way to Tasmania. Among other things they are carrying eight complete Dutch wooden ships, a statue of master carpenter Pieter Jacobsz made at the Batavia Yard in Lelystad, portraits for the upcoming ‘Get on Board’ exhibition at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, parts for the 16m2 boat and barrels for traditional fish smoking.

In January, the Tasmanian art magazine ‘Lume’ will publish 10,000 free copies of a special issue on the Australian Wooden Boat Festival, including articles on the Dutch contribution to the festival, the Dutch discoverer Abel Tasman and other early Dutch explorers, Dutch maritime heritage, and Dutch design in shipbuilding. Keep an eye on our website for the digital version.