The ‘Rechtvaardig’ (this means ‘righteous’) was built around 1900 as a saloon steamer for a wealthy family in Alkmaar. The original cabin has been taken down and the ship is now completely open. The classic appearance attracts many onlookers on the waterways of Leiden. After a thorough restoration this ship offers plenty of comfort and boating pleasure for private trips with small groups of up to twelve persons. This creamy-white shippy is also very suitable as a ‘private wedding boat’.
The ‘Gedagvaart’ (the ‘Summoned’, where the word is deliberately misspelled so that the second part of the wordplay means ‘boat day-trip’) is an original saloon steamer from the twenties. Due to its elegant shape and creamy-white colour, this is an ideal wedding boat! Together with the ‘Aanwinst’, the ‘Rechtvaardig’ and the ‘Welvaart’ our creamy-white fleet has hosted many happy newly weds.
The ‘Aanwinst’ (meaning the ‘Acquisition/Addition’) was built over a century ago as a tugboat. This workhorse had to withstand some forces and you can still see the thick riveted steel plates the ship was built with. Over time this old tugboat was modernised to a stylish touring ship with an open top and a new diesel engine. A handsome brass ‘Leiden’s Lion’ on the helm guards the old ship.
The ‘Sodeju’ (slang combining the terms ‘Sodomy’ and ‘Nom de Dieu’) is a polyester lifeboat that was built in the sixties at the shipyard of Mulder&Rijke in IJmuiden. This shipyard was one of the designers and builders of lifeboats in the Netherlands. For many years the shipbuilding was commissioned by the Royal Navy and the Dutch organised rescue service to this shipyard.
The ‘Nondeju’ (slang Dutch version of French ‘Nom de Dieu’) is a polyester lifeboat identical to the ‘Sodeju’. In 2011, we accidentally found her on a shipyard in a deplorable state. After some research we discovered that the ‘Nondeju’ was also built in the sixties at the shipyard of Mulder&Rijke, in the same batch as the ‘Sodeju’, which we already had in our fleet. We took on the challenge to completely refurbish this lifeboat with the help of our technical volunteers.
In addition to being a name for a cookie, Cocosmacroon is also Leiden slang for a ‘weirdo’. Together with the ‘Wattanjûh’, the Cocosmacroon was inspired by the Friesian skûtsje, an old ship model that fits the image of the historical city centre of Leiden. A skûtsje (Friesian for small ship or ‘shippy’) is a collective term for the flatboats that served in the early twentieth century as cargo boats on the inland waterways. The design of both shippies was commissioned by our shipping company to a Friesian ship designer.
Will this be your wedding boat? The ‘Welvaart’ (no slang this time! This means ‘Prosperity’) was built as a ‘sailing terrace’ to be able to organise all sorts of parties on board. With her 12 meter length and a width of 3 meter she is a real event-ship. The space in the ‘Welvaart’ is very multi-functional: from a stand-up reception to a luxurious dinner at long tables or moving around on a wooden dance floor on the beat of music, it can all be accommodated.
The ‘Irma la Douche’ (a deliberate misspelling in ‘Douce’ turns the wordplay into ‘Irma the Shower’) is a spacious barge which lends itself easily as party boat. This long boat has foldable tables, facilitating on-board lunches or dinners. With the tables folded, there is enough space on board for an enjoyable nautical party. This ship also has an electrically adjustable roof along the entire length, keeping you dry all the way. As such this handy barge is very suitable as wedding boat!
The ‘Koekeroe’ (Leiden slang for Pigeon) was built in the fifties in Spain. This polyester sea-going lifeboat has served many years in the coastal waters of Panama. We discovered the lifeboat in Warmond and following an extensive refurbishment the boat now has two luxurious sun-decks and a new engine. The ‘Koekeroe’ has professional HiFi equipment with powerful subwoofers to make it a real party. Bring along your own iPod or mobile to play your favourite music.
The design for ‘Leiden’s Water Coach’ was inspired by a Friesian skûtsje as old cargo sailer. A boat that fits the image of an old city. A skûtsje (Friesian for small ship or ‘shippy’) is a collective term for the flatboats that served in the early twentieth century as cargo boats on the inland waterways. In line with tradition, our shipping company had ‘Leiden’s water coach’ designed by a real Friesian ship designer. The outfitting of both our ‘shippies’ (the other one being the ‘Cocosmacroon’) was established largely by our own enthusiastic technical crew.
Welcome on board the ‘Doordouwer’ (the name means as much as the ‘stayer’, or the ‘pushy one’), a refurbished lifeboat, and do-it-yourself! This unique ship contains its original manual propelling system with eight handles, which are operated by opposite pairs with an alternating push-and-pull movement.
Due to safety reasons, it is not allowed to smoke on board of the 'Doordouwer'.lees meerread more