Dutch Captain: Boëtius Schaeff

Boëtius Schaeff served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. The Portuguese ship São Bartholomeu had been captured on 28 September 1648. Captain Schaeff had been appointed to command her. She was eventually renamed as the Gewapende Ruyter (36 guns), and served as a ship of the Admiralty of Amsterdam. The captain, Boetius Schaeff, was able to provide his ship with provisions in the West-Indies and arrived in Amsterdam in the beginning of August 1649. While the Admiralty had arrested Witte de With on suspicion of desertion, they honoured Schaeff with a golden chain because of the capture of the ship. In the autumn, they sent him back to Brazil. He was returning from Brazil in June 1652, when his ship was captured by the English and taken to the Downs. He later commanded the Hoop. On April 7, 1653, he attended a council of war on board Witte de With's ship Luipaard. In 1653, he fought in the Battle of the Gabbard (or the Battle off Nieuwpoort, or the Two Days Battle). He and his lieutenant were killed in the battle, and the crew mutinied after that and sailed into the Meuse in great disorder. The ship had been heavily damaged. The deputies of the State of Amsterdam anticipated repairing the Hoop, finding a new crew, and appointing a new commander. Sources:

1. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.II, 1923.

2. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1927.

3. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928.

4. Johan E. Elias, De Vlootbouw in Nederland 1596-1655, 1933.

5. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.

6. W. J. van Hoboken, Witte de With in Brazilië, 1955.