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Thursday, June 29, 2006

Hendrick de Munnick and the 26 February 1652 list

While researching the list of ships returning from Brazil in June 1652, I consulted the list of ships in service for the Admiralty of Rotterdam (the Maze). I was reminded that Hendrick de Munnick's ship Holland (or Wapen van Holland) was a States' ship, not a hired ship, and that we know its dimensions. The Wapen van Holland was apparently built to the 116ft charter, the same as the Gorinchem (or Gorcum) and other ships. Her dimensions in Amsterdam feet were something like 116ft x 27ft x 11ft. The document makes the point that the dimensions were all in Maas feet, divided into 12 inches. The "Holland" is listed as having dimensions of 106ft x 25ft x 10ft. The Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1654, compiled in July 1654, gives the dimensions as 106ft x 25ft x 9.5ft for the ships built to this charter. There is no particular reason to think that they are more accurate than the dimensions listed in the 26 February 1652 document. The converted dimensions in my spreadsheet match Dr. Weber's dimensions for the Gorinchem, so they could be better than those in the Staet.

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