Batavialand Museum: ‘Batavia’ – museum ship is now ashore following its final voyage

For 31 years, the 56.6-metre-long ship lay moored at the museum’s jetty on the Markermeer. Now the timber is to be left to dry on land, where it will be protected and carefully maintained. The move was therefore no ordinary heavy-lift operation: as long as a ship is afloat, buoyancy supports its hull. On dry land, a structure must take over this load without placing excessive strain on sensitive areas. The The Batavialand Museum confirms its arrival at its new location.

Swimming to Amsterdam

On 19 September 2026, the ‘Batavia’ left Lelystad, towed by two tugs. The masts remained in place; the route took the ship via the Markermeer and the IJ to Amsterdam. For this leg of the journey, the ship was deliberately kept afloat. A journey on a barge would have subjected the hull, which had not yet been braced, to stresses for which it was not designed. The weather and sea conditions had to be calm enough to ensure that the wooden ship was not subjected to excessive stress.

Before the tow, the guns and a large proportion of the ballast were removed. Temporary steel supports in the hold and on deck were intended to stabilise the hull when the load was subsequently lightened. This is evident from the information on the Preparation at Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam and the museum’s technical information.

Steel struts for the fuselage

In the Amsterdam dry dock, the ‘Batavia’ was placed on a specially constructed support structure. It measures 39.7 by 15.5 metres and, according to the museum, consists of 87 tonnes of steel and 14 tonnes of timber. As the dock was drained, the hull gradually lost its buoyancy; the prepared supports took on its weight. It was only once resting on these supports that the ship was able to return to Lelystad on the floating pontoon.

The return journey began on 1 October. The following day, a computer-controlled heavy-duty vehicle transported the ship, together with its supporting structure, from the pontoon over the dyke via a ramp to its new location. Whilst this marks the end of the transport operation, the process of permanent conservation has only just begun.

Back on board? No fixed date yet

The ‘Batavia’ was built between 1985 and 1995 under the supervision of shipbuilder Willem Vos. More than 600 young people were involved in the construction of this reconstruction of a ship from the Dutch East India Company dating from 1628. It is a reconstruction, not a fully documented replica of the original, as the Museum of Architectural History explains.

A role model with a dramatic story

The historical model was a merchant ship of the Dutch East India Company with a dramatic history: in October 1628, it set sail from Texel on its maiden voyage to the East Indies. On 4 June 1629, it ran aground on a reef off the west coast of Australia, in the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, and was lost. The shipwrecked crew managed to reach nearby islands. However, many of them were subsequently murdered during the reign of terror under Jeronimus Cornelisz before help arrived. The perpetrators were eventually apprehended by the authorities and executed.

Redesign of the museum by 2028

The museum hopes to welcome visitors back on board in early 2027. A confirmed opening date has not yet been announced. The museum’s extensive refurbishment is expected to be completed by the end of 2028. For sailors on the Markermeer, this also means a familiar sight will change: the ‘Batavia’ is no longer moored at the jetty. Anyone wishing to understand the previous situation and the sailing area can find details in the YACHT sailing area report “The IJsselmeer and Markermeer: the south and west” as described in the year 2025.