The Ships of Abel Tasman

As described in his preserved extract-journal, Abel Tasman had two ships under his command during his memorable voyage to the mysterious 'Southland' in 1642: the yacht 'Heemskerck' and the fluyt 'Zeehaen'. According to historian Peter Sigmond, head of the department of Dutch History of the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum, these ships can be placed in the same rank as ships like the 'Santa Maria', the 'Golden Hind' and the 'Endeavour'. Ab Hoving, head of the restoration department working for Sigmond, built models of these ships. Cor Emke has recorded the entire (experimental) building process on cad drawings. These drawings are not only printed but also recorded on cd-rom. This cd-rom enables the model builder to examine and print each part of the ship in a scale selected by himself. In the book to which the cd-rom belongs, Peter Sigmond describes the historical background of Tasman's expedition. Original illustrations from Tasman's journal, and paintings and pictures of yachts and fluyts illustrate the narrative. The book also offers an analysis of seventeenth-century shipbuilding; an account of how the models were built; a typology of the ships Tasman sailed with and a lot of information from which anyone interested can make his own choice in order to construct his model.

'Deze doos met het boek, de tekeningset en de CD Rom over Tasman's reis en zijn schepen zijn een nouveauté en laat zien dat de verschillende media een mooie aanvulling op elkaar kunnen zijn. Het pakket biedt uitstekende gelegenheid om meer of minder diepgaand kennis te maken met de zeventiende eeuwse scheepsbouw voor de VOC.' Jacq Heemels in: Zeilen op schaal 2000/3

'Is Ab Hoving, the principal author of this work, a model maker, an archaeologist or a shop historian? It is difficult to tell from this modest yet immensely erudite publication. Ostensibly aimed at the model maker's needs, it contains such a wealth of knowledge about seventeenth-century Dutch shipbuilding that it easily serves as an historical introduction to this subject. It is also a useful companion for archeologists struggling to understand the countless construction details of a shipwreck. (...) This highly entertaining and knowledgeable publication can be recommended to anyone interested in ship models or in the history of Dutch shipbuilding. (...) the great number of historical images, photos of models and technical drawings are a visual feast. This, too, is what modern publishing is about, and the combination of a traditional book, a CD-ROM and a portfolio of drawings makes for a very commendable package.' Brad Loewen in: International Journal of Maritime History, vol. XIII, 2 (2002).