De Twee Gezusters
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Built in 1912 as a sailing cargo ship at De Graaf in Waspik, De Twee Gezusters transported all kinds of things: potatoes from the clay soils to the cities, sand, cement and bricks from the river area for reconstruction, transhipment from the sea vessels, cocoa beans, wheat, ores, cattle feed, fertiliser...
In 1928, sailing had ended and an engine was installed: a Bolnes 2 cylinder of 40 hp. To make up for the loss of space by installing the engine, the ship was lengthened by 1.80 metres. Fortunately, this was done surprisingly 'nicely stroking' and well riveted. Everything that was needed for sailing disappeared during the conversion. When asked where the daggerboards had gone, the answer was: In the Zuidwillemsvaart.
Its current dimensions are 25x5 metres and its carrying capacity is 105 tonnes. The mast is 21 metres high; the swords are 5 metres long and weigh 450 kilos each.
There z...
Built in 1912 as a sailing cargo ship at De Graaf in Waspik, De Twee Gezusters transported all kinds of things: potatoes from the clay soils to the cities, sand, cement and bricks from the river area for reconstruction, transhipment from the sea vessels, cocoa beans, wheat, ores, cattle feed, fertiliser...
In 1928, sailing had ended and an engine was installed: a Bolnes 2 cylinder of 40 hp. To make up for the loss of space by installing the engine, the ship was lengthened by 1.80 metres. Fortunately, this was done surprisingly 'nicely stroking' and well riveted. Everything that was needed for sailing disappeared during the conversion. When asked where the daggerboards had gone, the answer was: In the Zuidwillemsvaart.
Its current dimensions are 25x5 metres and its carrying capacity is 105 tonnes. The mast is 21 metres high; the swords are 5 metres long and weigh 450 kilos each.
There are quite a few stories circulating around de Twee Gezusters. For instance, the name indicates ownership; the ship became the property of two sisters through inheritance. But the skipper did have four daughters!
The last professional skipper told all sorts of interesting facts about the ship's history. For instance, the construction of Twee Gezusters was allegedly paid for with twice the top prize from the state lottery. And the dents in the ship were not caused by heartless sailing, but by the beautiful voice of the last skipper, he said. Indeed, whenever he approached a town, young women had gathered on the first bridge to see him. He would run to the foredeck to sing to the women. But then again, a ship without a helmsman sometimes sails into a bridge pillar....
A 105-tonne ship was a big bucket at the beginning of the last century. By the 1970s, it was too small to even earn a dry living and de Twee Gezusters went for scrapping. Fortunately, before the sledge hammer was put on it, it came into the hands of its current owners in 1982. From then on, development went the other way again and the sailing appearance was restored bit by bit.