Museum Batavialand in Lelystad houses a weaving and sailmaking workshop that are crucial for making sails for the reconstruction of historical ships, such as the reconstruction of the East Indiaman "De Batavia" from 1628. These workshops play an essential role in weaving sails for the ships that are built and maintained in the museum.
The Weaving Process
In the weaving workshop, mainly hemp yarns are used, a bast fiber that was historically used for sailcloth because of its strength and durability. Hemp fibers are two to three meters long and are processed into warp and weft yarns. The warp yarns are stretched on antique and commercial looms, while the weft yarns are struck with great force to create sturdy cloth. This process requires precision and craftsmanship, especially since hemp is not elastic and tension differences can quickly occur.
Making the Sail
The weaving workshop has several looms, including a replica of an antique loom from the Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen. Volunteers work on these looms to produce sails according to historical methods. The looms are adapted to minimize modern problems, such as thread breakage, by using cotton heddles with metal eyes.
Visit the Weaving and Sailmaking Workshops
Visitors to Museum Batavialand can view the weaving and sailmaking workshops and see how the craftsmen, mainly volunteers, are at work. This offers a unique insight into the crafts that were essential for seventeenth-century sailing. The weaving and sailmaking workshops of Museum Batavialand are a tribute to the rich maritime history and show how traditional craftsmanship is still kept alive today.
Here is an impression of how the sails are made in our sailmaking workshop:
