STAD AMSTERDAM

Description

• The model is 100% hand built by artisans from scratch using “plank on bulkhead” construction method
• Rosewood, mahogany, teak and other exotic woods are carefully selected to build the model
• Highly complex rigging with varied thread gauge, hundreds of blocks and deadeyes.
• Figurehead, cannons, anchors, bell, propeller and other fitting made from brass or metal
• Hand-painted to match the actual tall ship.
• Solid wood base and brass name plate included.

The Stad Amsterdam (literally: City Amsterdam) is a three-mast clipper that was built in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 2000 at the Damen Oranjewerf.
The ship was designed by Gerard Dijkstra who modelled her after the mid-19th century frigate Amsterdam, but she is not a replica. A major difference is that the hull is made of steel. The owners call the ship a “modern extreme clipper in historical perspective”, meaning that the construction method is a combination of the best qualities of clippers of the past, outfitted and built with modern techniques but with a classic ‘look and feel’. This makes her a very fast ship, with 15 knots being a normal speed. She won the 2001 Cutty Sark Tall Ships’ Race.

The building of the hull in 1997/98 was used as a work experience project for the unemployed (eg metalworking and welding). The ship was first presented to the public at the 2000 edition of SAIL Amsterdam. During the 2005 edition of the event she was the flagship.
The ship is used for training and as a charter-ship for guests. The crew are mainly from the Netherlands and Denmark and the official language on board is English. Her home port is Amsterdam.

In September 2009 Stad Amsterdam was refitted to accommodate a televised research expedition, tracing the second voyage of HMS Beagle (1831-1836). The ship will sail the route by the Beagle in approximately 8 months while collecting information to allow comparison between Charles Darwins Beagle observations and the current one