Blog 4: Research into the exchange of shipbuilding techniques and designs between the Dutch and British Navies

We are pleased to welcome our new student assistant to the team, Romée van Oostenbrugge. As part of her independent study, Romée traced the exchange of shipbuilding techniques and designs between the Dutch and British Navies in the eighteenth century, presenting her findings in the report “The Dutch Navy Shipbuilding Endeavours of the Eighteenth Century: Admiralties, Revolutions, Dutch Prizes, and British Shipwrecks.” The revealed a rich history of interconnections in terms of ship designs, shipwrights, materials, and even cannons between these naval powers.

Romée identified several key revolutions in Dutch ship design, partly influenced by British practices. The Anglo-Dutch wars drove innovations in artillery, shaping ship length and hull thickness. In 1728, the Dutch Navy hired three British shipwrights, who introduced new construction techniques, including the use of technical drawings, though to have improved ship performance. Dutch shipbuilding also drew inspiration from British shipwrecks, incorporating recovered parts like cannons into new vessels.