In the old days, ships that were used on inland waters, were build with flat bottoms to enable them to sail in shallow waters. To prevent them from drifting sideways with the wind, they were fitted with leeboards that could be raised or lowered as the situation demanded. One of these flat-bottomed ships was the Frisian Tjalk or Skûtsje.

This type of boat, from Northern Norway, dates from the 17th Century.

A traditional freighter and her kind was very common in the 1960’s up to the 1990’s.

This lifeboat was named after the Parisian merchant Emile Robin, a philanthropist, cognac manufacturer ...

A typical trawler from the North Sea, built in1970 at an English shipyard. Fishing area: Around Iceland and Greenland –Haul: Herrings, cod and trash fish.

In April 1789 the ship had already completed the first part of her mission and with her precious cargo she was sailing before the wind when suddenly, the crew mutinied.