The eighteenth-century Amsterdam was closer in form to fluyt and galleon traditions than the larger East Indiamen of 1804. Later ships retained some tumblehome to bring weight nearer the centreline, but the inward curve was less pronounced and the timbers were thicker. These changes produced a stronger hull with a convincing resemblance to a contemporary warship. Amsterdam is a replica, and Batavia represents an even earlier ship from 1628. Visiting such replicas conveys the scale and internal arrangement that a painting flattens, while HMS Victory provides a comparison with a much larger warship.
Notable Point · 2:06:24-2:09:38
Replicas reveal an earlier East Indiaman design tradition
The replicas Amsterdam and Batavia make early Dutch merchant construction visible, while comparison with later ships shows how the type became stronger and more warship-like.