Fire consumes tallship replica
by BW Media Roundup on 8 Aug 2009
Photo/ Peter van Aalst/ Berber van Beek SW
Saddest sight of the week was that of fire consuming a three masted ship which was the replica of the 17th-century flagship of the Dutch East India Company last Thursday. At the time the Prins Willem was located at the Museumhaven Willemsoord in Den Helder in the northern Netherlands.
Prior to 2003, it had been moored for many years at Holland Village in Nagasaki, Japan, for many years before it returned to the northern Dutch port of Den Helder to become a tourist attraction.
Firefighters were called after the fire broke out in the early hours of the morning, but could not bring the blaze under control.
The cause of the fire was being investigated.
The original ship, built in 1649, was the largest ship of the Dutch trading company. It foundered and sank in the 1660's off Madagascar. The replica was built in Makkum, Friesland between 1985-86.
The ship has been operated as tourist attraction by Libéma, a diversified Dutch entertainment company, and owned by developer Dirk Lips, allegedly insured for 3m Euros.
The ship was built using a steel frame which appears to have survived the fire.
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