DUYFKEN
The Duyfken or Little Dove commanded by Willem Janszoon set sail for the island of Banda in 1605 in search of fabled lands of gold. Upon reaching New Guinea he sailed south and much by accident ran into Australia near Cape York Peninsula, Queensland early in 1606. He set to charting the area and it became the 1st recorded map of the Australian coastline. The Duyfken was a small ship with a crew of 20, length of 24 M (78 ft 8 7/8 inches), displaced approx 125 tonnes and had a cargo capacity of about 50 tonnes. Its main cargo was spices that included nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves which were collected in the Spice Islands and returned to Europe where they fetched a handsome price. The crew slept on the main deck and the spices were stored below deck in the hold. As you will see in the following pictures it was a small ship and all daily activities such as cooking, eating,and etc. took place on the main deck. All body functions were relieved from the bow of the ship known as the "head". If any member of the crew were caught urinating or defecating in the hold the immediate punshiment was DEATH!
In 1997 the construction of the fullsize Duyfken 1606 Replica was begun. Below you will see many pictures that I took of this magnificant ship. As a "chippy" myself I marveled at the craftsmanship in this replica. The craftsmen that built this ship should be proud of their work. I should tell you that all the work done on this ship was done with hand tools, ie mallets, chisels, axes, and etc. The planks used in the ship sides were heated and actually bent by hand. Very hard work but the final product is something that all Australians should be proud of. In my opinion these craftsman are among the worlds finest. At the time I was there the masts, riggings, and sails had not yet been constructed. I hope that someday I may return to see this magnificant ship completed. It would be wonderful to actually sail on her, but we all have our dreams. I hope you all enjoy the photos and PLEASE take note of the fine craftsmanship that it took to make this possible.
Bow of the ship
Crews quarters in the bow
Bow and crews quarters
"THE HEAD"
This is where the crew slept
This is where the ship was steered from
The pilot looked out these windows to guide the ship
Stern
Duyfken anchored on the Swan River in Perth
I just received the following photographs from my very good friends. They are pictures of the Duyfken on her maiden voyage on July 10, 1999. They were there for this historic event and were aboard the James Sterling. They were so close to the Duyfken that they could talk to the crew. OHHHHH I wish I could have been there to see it. It is a magnificent ship as you will see. All masts, sails, and rigging are now complete and these pictures really show how magnificent this ship really is. Thank you so much Ginetta, Toni, and Pat.
Duyfken leaving Fremantle Harbour
The Duyfken heading out to sea
The Duyfken under full sail for the first time in almost 400 years
The Duyfken completed
HOME
AUSTRALIA
BUSSELTON/FREMANTLE/KALGOORLIE/MANDURAH/PENGUIN ISLAND/PERTH/PINJARRA/ROCKINGHAM/ROTTNEST ISLAND/SYDNEY
