ENVIRONMENT & CULTURE
TH49 durIng THe Van Loon HardzeILdag, an annuaL race for HISTorIcaL Wooden SHIpS SucH aS HoogaarS and HengST.
All photos courtesy of Stichting Behoud Hoogaars
Stichting Behoud Hoogaars Sailing heritage of the Scheldt delta In 1900, over 1,000 fishing vessels sailed around the estuary of the Western Scheldt and the broader Scheldt delta. They were wooden, flat-bottom ships, well-suited for shallow waters. One of the most common types was the ‘hoogaars’, which literally translates to high-arse – aptly named after the vessel’s remarkable high stern. There were several varieties of the hoogaars, including the ‘hengst’, or stallion; a sturdier, broader type of ship with a steeper bow and stern that was generally built in Flanders. As steel ships and steam engines became more and more common, wooden sailboats such as hoogaars and hengst went out of service. Over time, their numbers decimated until they virtually disappeared.
Starting small Three passionate friends in the Vlissingen region decided to try and save this sailing heritage from oblivion in 1990. They founded the Stichting Behoud Hoogaars (SBH), the foundation for the preservation of the hoogaars, to document everything that was still known about them. During those first years, SBH’s main goal was to gain publicity, both for the foundation and for the term hoogaars, which had faded from collective memory. They were not actually intent on owning a ship. When the owner of the Yerseke-based mussel fishing vessel Andries Jacob, or YE36, heard about the SBH, he asked them to buy his
ship. Hesitant at first, the founders of SBH eventually decided to purchase the YE36 to prevent it from being scrapped.
A growing fleet The SBH grew quickly – and the ships kept coming, too. In 1995, the foundation acquired the TH49, a hengst, followed in 1997 by the Alcyon. Alcyon is a hoogaars, but built in yacht-style, as a leisure craft. Together, the three ships can be seen as a cross section of the types of vessels that used to frequent the waters of the Scheldt delta. Since then, five more vessels have been added to the foundation’s fleet. Botje, Brutus, and Twee Gebroeders are traditional wooden sailing dinghies. Then there is Luctor et Emergo, which is not technically a hoogaars either. Yet since this so-called Zeeuwse schouw used to serve as a sounding boat for the regional water authority and was used to evacuate people during the great 1953 inundation of Zeeland, SBH still recognised her historical significance. The latest addition is Boreas, a so-called steekhengst. This type of fishing vessel was commonly used for salmon fishing on the rivers that flow into the Scheldt delta.
Woodwork All eight ships are wooden vessels, requiring (nearly) infinite maintenance and care. Most were in extremely poor condition when the foundation acquired them, so they made for great, yet challenging, woodworking projects. They were restored to their former glory by the numerous volunteers that have committed themselves to the foundation over the years. The volunteers (130, at present) also sail the ships during the summer season, organise events, take care of publicity, and carry out maintenance, especially in the winter.
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