Page 218 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

Chapter Two
138. Finally
138. Finally
Withthiswehavecometotheendof thedescriptionof the building process of the 134-foot pinas, a ship that, ac- cording to Witsen, could be built by twenty to twenty-two men in the incredib ly short time of four months and yet could last several decades.
In the next chapter we will delve into contracts and how they can still be u nderstood if the re ader is acquainted withthebuildingmethodandterminolog ydescribedin this chapter. It will also be cle ar that Witsen’s explana- tions can be applied to c ontracts to see how the sy stem worked.
(279 II 23) And with this the most important parts of the ship will have been explained: the less im- portant left aside, such as there be seats, shel ves, cabinets for glasses and pitchers, handrails, the shape of the berths, heads, sink, bottle-stands, re- trays, tables, buckets, counters, peeping-windows, buckets, berth-doors, scoops, pins, on which lines arebelayed,top- oorsetc.becausetheshapeand dimensions of all these, are shaped without rule as the master shipwrigh t sees t and approves. But it is true, that all the above-mentioned, is ap- plied to the Pinas or Square- sterned Ship, is the same (changing, whatever is to be changed) in all ships, whatever shape they ma y be. But in all of them, the use to w hich the ships are ordered , is to be tak en into account: whether they are built to carry wood , cereals, or piece- goods: the ones inclining to squareness, the others to roundness.
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(158 II 28) A Ship built th us, can last long years, beforeitwastesfromage,orneedstobebrok en up, as long as it is not damaged by severe and un- usual disasters, up to 20, 30, 40, even 50 years; in which time it does need some looking after . I seem to remember having seen an English Ship which had reached the age of 70 years, but most Vessels perish sooner , in acciden ts of the sea , weather, wind and enemies.
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(157 I 31) This Ship could well be nished within the time of four mon ths, with twenty or twenty- two men. In this coun try a Ship long 180 or 1 50 feet can be completed by 50 men within ve months, and built up.
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(157 I 20) With this then, let enough have been said, about the building of m y Pinas Ship, long 134 feet over stem and stern, w hich average size I have chosen with premeditation, so that bigger as well as smaller Ships can be fashioned propor - tionately to this example; with all due changes, as the use, for w hich the Ship is to be built, will re- quire.
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