Page 21 - Kennemerland VOC ship, 1664 - Published Reports

The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology and Underwater Exploration (1973), 2.2: 291-300 The Kennemerland, 1971
An interim report William A. Forster
12 Keverel Road, Exmouth, Devonshire and
Kenneth B. Higgs
Physics Department, Aston University, Gosta Green, Birmingham 4
The Kennemerland, a Dutch East Indiaman outward bound for Batavia, was wrecked on Stoura Stack in the Out Skerries, Shetland Islands, in December 1664. It was relocated and surveyed by a team from Aston Uni- versity, working on behalf of the Zetland County Museum at Lerwick, in July-August 1971.
Historical review
In times of war the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) customarily sent its richly- laden, armed merchantmen by the lengthy ‘achter om’ route round the north of Scot- land and the Shetland Islands thus avoiding the danger of interception in the English Channel (Boxer, 1963).In followingthis route many Dutch East Indiamen, including the Kennemerland, came to be wrecked on Shetland’s rocky islandsr1’.
The shipwreck
The KennemerlandL2’was purchased by the Amsterdam Chamber of the VOC for 33,000 guilders in 1661 (VOC, Resolution, 22 De- cember 1661). It was 155ft long, 35 ft wide, 17 ft 6 in deep, its cargo rafters (lastbalken) were 7 ft high, and it was given the usual armament for a ship of its size
(VOC, Resolution, 2 January 1662) which as stipulated in 1630 (VOC, Heeren XVII, 22 August 1630) consisted of 24 cast iron pieces, six bronze pieces, and two minions. After loading at the Texel (VOC, Resolution, 20 February 1662) it left on its maiden voyage on the 17 April 1662 and returned safely on the 25 August 1664 (VOC, Uitloopboek).
In December 1664 The Kennemerland and its companion ship on the outward voyage, the Rijnland, were loaded between them with 240,000 guilders (VOC, Resolution, 8 De- cember 1664) in addition to their general cargo. They left the Texel with a crew of 200 (VOC,VarbaalvanhetHaagschBesoigne)on 14 December 1664 (VOC, Uitloopboek). Britain and the United Provinces were on the verge of warc4]so naturally they took the ‘achter om’ route round Scotland.
The strong oral tradition in the tightknit inbred community of the Out Skerries con- cerning the wreck of the Carmelan (sic) was recorded by R. Stuart Bruce at the beginning of this century and gives a reliable graphic account of the actual shipwreck (Bruce,
1907: 123-8) which may well be based on the stories of the three survivors. The Kennemer- land was running before a southerly gale on a dark night and four lookouts were posted in the shrouds to keep a watch for land. When breakers appeared under the ship’s bow the lookouts had no time to give any warning before the ship struck Stoura Stack,
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