Witte Swaen

A tribute to Willem Barentsz

Witte Swaen is no ordinary ship. She is a meticulous reconstruction of the expedition vessel used by Willem Barentsz during his legendary 1596 voyage to the Arctic.

Her keel was laid in 2010, starting with nothing more than a single oak beam. Eight years later, in 2018, she was christened by H.R.H. Princess Margriet and launched into the water. Since then, over 38,000 hours of volunteer work have gone into bringing her to life.

Out of 60,000 kilos of oak, 32,000 kilos were transformed into this ship. She carries 22,000 kilos of ballast, including 5,000 kilos of historic lead from 1746, salvaged from a shipwreck. Her three masts carry five sails, totalling 244 square metres, all hand-stitched with 3.2 kilometres of thread. The rigging alone spans nearly five kilometres.

Witte Swaen has only seen the open sea once, during a cautious voyage above Terschelling. For now, she sails behind a tug as her crew gains experience. SAIL Amsterdam 2025 will mark her first major journey and her official debut at the event.