Shortly after the start of the Zuidwal regatta on the Eemmeer near Spakenburg, the Skutsje is hit by a strong gust. The flat-bottomed ship lays on its side, heeling more and more. The genoa is cast off too late and the mainsail obviously cannot be released. The rig hits the water. Some crew members go overboard, others manage to stay on the capsized boat. All of the 16 crew members were rescued by boats that rushed to the scene and the KNRM and taken to the nearby harbour. One person apparently suffered hypothermia.
The accident occurred on 27 May. One day later, the skutsje was raised with the help of a floating crane and a pontoon.
The entire course of the capsize is documented in this video:
This video shows that this is not an isolated case:
A skutsje (pronounced "skootshuh") is a Frisian sailing boat of the tjalk or Dutch barge type, originally an ordinary cargo ship, today a valuable object and one of the icons of Friesland. Skutsjes were built from the 18th century until around 1930 and are 12 to 20 metres long and on average 3.5 metres wide, with a maximum of 4 metres (based on the standard dimensions of Frisian bridges and locks).
In the 1920s and 1930s, many skutsjes were fitted with engines, and after the Second World War the sails were often removed. Nevertheless, other, much larger motorboats took over water transport in the area, and many skutsjes were converted into houseboats or luxury sailing yachts. Over time, more and more were restored to their original condition.
A racing event called Skutsjesilen takes place in Friesland every year. Such races have been held since the early 19th century, but since 1945 they have been organised by a committee, the SKS. In these races, each skutsje represents a town or village. In 1981, another organisation, IFKS, also began organising races.
This race already started in the early 20th century, when villages in Friesland, or more precisely often the bar and hotel owners, provided prizes for the winner. In those days, the skipper lived with his family on board in a narrow cabin, and before the regatta, the family and the interior of the cabin were brought ashore to make the boat as light as possible at the start of the regatta.
YACHT has tested the performance of these often seemingly clunky sailing boats. It sailed one of these 30-tonne steel ships against a seven-tonne X 40, with an interesting outcome.
Here is the video of the comparison:
