Page 71 - Dutch Ships in Tropical Waters

inspection report ships Sardam ). The dimensions and the expensive design of these ves- sels (as compared to other cargo carriers) limited their tasks and areas of operation mostly to military assignments. The amount of cargo they could load was often only of secondary impor- tance. Many shores, ports and rivers were too shallow for these big yachts. Finding and orga- nising repair and maintenance facilities for vessels of these dimensions was a problem for the VOC. Middle-sized yachts of rate  were also heavily armed, but because of their dimensions these vessels were more vulnerable as targets for large European enemy ships. Since these yachts had relatively small numbers of crew, they also ran the risk of being boarded by the enemy although the closed quarters on board could provide some protection and possibly defence. Sailing with other ships, they could make an important contribution to the military force and the agility of such a fleet. On their own they could ship a useful amount of cargo to nearly every port important to the VOC network. These vessels were all-rounders, suited to most Asian destinations, and were primarily used for trade. The cargo-carrying capacity of the small yachts of Rate  was so limited that they were not useful for transporting bulk cargo over longer distances since the crew and their requirements took most of the available space. Their small dimensions also made it a hazard to entrust them with very valuable cargo in nearly all Asian locations (Colenbrander , p. ). When they did make longer voyages, it was mostly for investigation or communication purposes. They were most useful for logistical and military functions. Yachts with a very shallow draught and which were more or less defensible were required for cargo transport over short distances or controlling local shipping. As an offensive force, these small yachts could only be used against unarmed or poorly armed Asian vessels; their shallowness and good sailing capacities, how- ever, made them more effective for these tasks than the larger yachts. Their seaworthiness was such that they were able to reach any of the areas of importance to the VOC. If they were built in the Netherlands, they were able to sail on their own keel to Asia, but longer operations on open oceans could cause problems. The yacht in the function of homeward-bounder In the period before  when there was not yet a regular service of homeward-bounders between Europe and Asia and vice versa, yachts were also used for return voyages and were called advies-jachten (literally “yacht of advice” from the th century Dutch, which translates to “delivering instructions”). The advies-jachten did not belong to a specific type of vessel. Depend- ing on the urgency of the communication, any available yacht could be dispatched from the Netherlands, often with instructions to return immediately from Asia. This kind of yacht is mentioned from  until about  after which communication was regulated in such a way that homeward-bounders and some men-of-war returned to the Netherlands. Only on a few occasions when there was a shortage of homeward-bounders due to unforeseen circum- stances, were yachts recalled to the Netherlands. After , yachts were again sent back to the Netherlands on a regular base. By then their dimensions had increased to such an extent that it became useful to employ the largest yachts and flutes for this task. Moreover, these expensive vessels had to be kept in good shape for many years, which was difficult to do adequately in Asia and, therefore, a return trip to the specialist shipbuilding facilities in the Netherlands was advisable. Large yachts – \[Rate \] Yachts of this rate of  last or more, were used by the VOC in Asia from about . Their assignments to Asia often coincided with periods when conflicts with other European nations, England in particular, were expected in Asia. Eight yachts in this rate  came into services in  - – during the spice monopoly conflict,  in - – a period of tension after the Amboina executions in , and  in the years - – during the first Anglo-Dutch war  Dutch Ships in Tropical Waters