Fluyt

The Fleute, ancient also called fluite, Fluit, Fluyt, Fliete, Vliete, was originally derived from the Netherlands three-masted merchant ship with a large cargo capacity and a shallow draft. It was after the cog of the second Nordic type of ship also served as the nations of the Mediterranean as a model. It was probably the first type of ship on which the tiller was replaced by a steering wheel. Commonly known is the type of ship Fleute primarily through the presentation of Dutch merchant ships in the pictures of the old masters.

It was there that preferred for the European trip and most common trading vessel, with the particular mass of goods were transported in the Golden Age of the Netherlands in the 17th century.

• 4.1 pinnace
• 4.2 tail boat
• 4.3 whalers

Dissemination and use of

Due to its high economic value in use, the Fleute via the Netherlands also quickly spread to other countries, to the Mediterranean. In the 17th century the Fleute was the best and most common trading vessel in Europe. It was not only easier to sail than a galleon, but also needed significantly fewer crew members than similar types of vessels. In addition, the Fleute also offered tax advantages. At the time of emergence of the type of ship the Fleute the Danes calculated the customs, for the important passage of the trade route in the Baltic Sea, according to the size of the deck surface. In order to reduce these charges per cubic meter pro rata, the Fleute had a sweeping hull, but at the same time strongly upwards narrowing board walls, which provided high cargo capacity for a small deck.

Development and characteristics

As a trading ship the Fleute was constructed purely from an economic point of view and did not serve for representation purposes. In contrast to the usual at this time carracks galleons and they only had small decorated superstructure at the bow and stern. The most striking visual feature of the Fleute was the unconventional design of bulbous cargo space with Rundgatt and, by the strongly curved inward ribs, narrow deck. A form which only came about through the optimization of the merchant ship to the Danish customs regulations Technically, the Fleute, however, has developed independently from smaller coastal vessels that have been growing steadily, primarily from the Dutch Boii. The Fleute was therefore a completely new, in the original Dutch ship type, which is in contrast to most types of ships of his time did not act to further development of the galleon. The Fleute had a comparatively small, adapted to the flat Dutch ports draft. Looking at the cross section of the ship hull so that nearly round to approach the concave side walls of the superstructures. Nevertheless, this type of ship had in relation to the overall size of unusually high masts. The yards were compared to a galleon shorter and the sails so recognizable narrower and higher. At the two buttons gaining the Fleute wore two square sails on the aft mast a framework and a lateen sail on the bowsprit and a blind woman. Later, the Fleute a third square sails and bowsprit got an upper blind.

Towards the stern the deck increased, as in the former time in many types of vessels usual. The Fleute was completed with a rear building, which was provided only above the water line with a narrow wall mirror. Constructive were the structures but significantly more integrated into the hull construction, as the blocky placed forts of the caravels or galleons. The ratio of length: width was in the Fleute about 4.6:1, while it was at a galleon about 4.0:1, at a carrack even only 3.0:1. In fact, it was so very lean time for his ship. This impression may have been exacerbated by the high masts and the narrow sail. Over time, the basis for calculating the customs duties were changed and the decks of the Fleuten consecutive wider.

The first known launch a Fleute took place in 1595 in the city of Hoorn in the Netherlands. The Fleute was increasingly replaced by the type of ship Galiot in the 18th century.

The length of the Fleute was usually 28-36 m and tonnage from 150 to 400 tons. She had a crew of 8-22 men. It usually had a light armament and was next trade routes in Europe and on routes to Asia and America ( where, however, the greater the returns ship was common ) and used as a transport ship of the Dutch Admiralty.

Effects

The appearance of the Fleute sparked a revolution in shipping, shipbuilding and had sustainable economic consequences in Europe.

Constructive influences on future vessel types

The elongated design of the ship type is achieving the reduction of the draft and a reduction in the width at the same time High loading capacity. The Fleute was not only a faster more agile sailors, but to guide you through the narrow yards by a relatively small crew. The Fleute was thus able to go for a square sail close to the wind. Of these properties in a row parallel to developments such as the pinnace from which later developments such as the return ships and the frigate ableiteten.

The economic revolution

The Fleute was the first type of ship was highly standardized, at least in the Netherlands and labor, made ​​with series character. This enabled an enormous acceleration and cost reduction in production, while improving quality in shipbuilding. In the Netherlands in a row was a huge ship building industry. In about a hundred yards this built in the 17th century ships throughout Europe. The focus of this advantage, however, the Dutch use to develop their own position as a trading nation. The dominance of the maritime Fleuten led to an economic triumph without historical example. Within a few years the States-General established on the basis of these innovations almost a monopoly of maritime trade between northern and southern Europe and transacted in about 75 percent of the Baltic trade. In the heyday they possessed around 15,000 ships over about half of the total world tonnage.

The social and economic consequences

Disaster -like merchant shipping of many nations collapsed in the Mediterranean. The Fleuten the Dutch transported cheaper, faster, safer. By halving the traveling time and the small crew of Fleuten incurred for that time huge overcapacity of ships and seafarers. In Lübeck, the most important at the beginning of the 16th century shipping company town, the boatmen demanded already in 1612 exceptional laws against the Dutch, as the merchants own their goods transported on Dutch ships during the Lubeck ships without charge remained. The wages for seafarers fell increasingly more and more sailors and merchantmen unemployed turned to as a last resort and the piracy.

1616 Write to the Dutch admirals Opdam and Haultain in a report: " ... that is practiced by the shameful greediness of a few people from day to day more how to merchant vessels by type of Fleuten or Gaingen with the lowest cost and the least can bring people out to sea. Many caring Schiffer are thus deprived of their food and deprived of the service of the merchant. The people running out of work around and can not get adequate wages to honest to gain his bread, and goes to entertain his wife and child to indecent trips to foreign services and even in the pay of the enemies of the Dutch prosperity. The throng from the seafaring profession If, as you so badly is a progress there. Similarly, many honest merchants who are looking to push their trade with something greater certainty, not a little discouraged in their business, keeping in mind that the goods which are brought with so little hardship in Fleuten and Gaingen by sea, the common market spoil and all profit falls to them alone. ... "

Similar designs

Pinnace

With the increasingly emerging overseas trade in the Golden Age of the Netherlands in the 17th century, the need for suitable commercial ships for economic growth, but at the same fortified and for the warm äquartorialen waters. The European trip dominated the type of ship Fleute as the most effective and most widely merchant ship. However, this type of ship was likely due to the highly curved hull and Rundgatt less well suited for use in the warm equatorial zones. With the pinnace the technical advantages of Fleute were adapted to this need. See also pinnace

Tail boat

A special form of Fleute was the rear boot (also Hekboot ). A tail boat offered the ship's command significantly more space and convenience than a normal Fleute. The main difference between a Fleute and a tail boat lay in a broad beam, which was mounted horizontally above the Hennegat and accounted for almost the entire width of the ship. A normal fluyt the transom is very small and varies little over the entire height in the width. Due to the wide bars, the rear boot received an uncharacteristically wide transom.

In the early tail boats of the mirror started below very wide and then ran on top as narrow as in a normal Fleute together. In later tail boats was no need for high eight ships. In consequence, the tail was wider and the difference from the original type was even more explicit. At the same time this type of ship was less topp -heavy due to the lower tail.

Whaler

Whaling Fleuten had because of the special requirements for hunting a straight deck without superstructures. These special ships were equipped on both sides with fishing boats.

Origin of the name

Viewed from behind resembled the Fleute with their tall, narrow structures and the semi-circular hole through which the tiller was made ​​the head of a recorder with the labium. Therefore, it is claimed, the name Fleute underlies the word flute. According to another theory, the name is "flow" to the word due.

Known ships of this type

• Zeehaan VOC ( Zehaen ), launched in 1639, one of the ships of Abel Tasman and Frans Visscher Jacobszoon the expedition 1642
• Derfflinger, a Brandenburg ship, named after the cavalry general George of Derfflinger.
• Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the pirate Blackbeard.