The Shipping in the 17th and 18th Centuries - Dutch Fleet-3 Coastal shipping (Kustvaart)
Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2025 1:57 pm
Shortsea is the modern equivalent of coastal shipping. The old name was inspired by a geographical factor: the ships sailed from the Netherlands "along the coast" to Denmark , Spain , or Portugal.
Shortsea is also called "short sea shipping," although this term should not be taken too literally. The term "short sea shipping" has a historical background. In the past, a classification was made based on ship size. According to this classification, coastal shipping fell under Small Merchant Shipping (KHV). This classification was obvious, as relatively small ships were used in coastal shipping. These ships are still in service, but those involved in the shortsea sector now pay more attention to the area served.
In the Netherlands, coastal vessels were originally typical Groningen ships. They were primarily built in that province at the shipyards on the Winschoterdiep canal between Groningen and Hoogezand . Due to their location on the canal, the shipyards almost all had a transverse slipway . The ships were primarily used for inland navigation in Groningen and the Zuiderzee . In the early days, they indeed stayed close to or along the coast. They also made crossings to England. This is how coastal shipping originated, and the term "kuster" or "kustvaarder" (coastal vessel). Over time, this coastal shipping expanded, and the term " klein handelsvaart" (small merchant shipping) arose . Of the approximately 500 coastal vessels in the Netherlands in 1940, 357 had a home port in the province of Groningen.
Shipyards elsewhere in the Netherlands also specialized in building these ships. These included vessels with a maximum tonnage of 500 GRT .
Information in margin of Ms.
In the seventeenth century, coastal shipping was a source of income. In Europe: grain from the Baltic region, wood from Scandinavia, wine from France, oil from Greece. There was plenty to trade and transport. In the second half of the eighteenth century, at least in Groningen, at least in Groningen, smack ships in coastal shipping.
The stamp design on Ms is based on etchings by Gerrit Groenewegen (1754–1826), a Rotterdam artist best known for his seascapes and masterful ship etchings. Between 1786 and 1801, he created a series of 84 etchings, each a detailed depiction of a contemporary vessel.
Nederland 2025, (1,1,1,1,1) Ms;
Sources: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaster.
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_sea_shipping.
Shortsea is also called "short sea shipping," although this term should not be taken too literally. The term "short sea shipping" has a historical background. In the past, a classification was made based on ship size. According to this classification, coastal shipping fell under Small Merchant Shipping (KHV). This classification was obvious, as relatively small ships were used in coastal shipping. These ships are still in service, but those involved in the shortsea sector now pay more attention to the area served.
In the Netherlands, coastal vessels were originally typical Groningen ships. They were primarily built in that province at the shipyards on the Winschoterdiep canal between Groningen and Hoogezand . Due to their location on the canal, the shipyards almost all had a transverse slipway . The ships were primarily used for inland navigation in Groningen and the Zuiderzee . In the early days, they indeed stayed close to or along the coast. They also made crossings to England. This is how coastal shipping originated, and the term "kuster" or "kustvaarder" (coastal vessel). Over time, this coastal shipping expanded, and the term " klein handelsvaart" (small merchant shipping) arose . Of the approximately 500 coastal vessels in the Netherlands in 1940, 357 had a home port in the province of Groningen.
Shipyards elsewhere in the Netherlands also specialized in building these ships. These included vessels with a maximum tonnage of 500 GRT .
Information in margin of Ms.
In the seventeenth century, coastal shipping was a source of income. In Europe: grain from the Baltic region, wood from Scandinavia, wine from France, oil from Greece. There was plenty to trade and transport. In the second half of the eighteenth century, at least in Groningen, at least in Groningen, smack ships in coastal shipping.
The stamp design on Ms is based on etchings by Gerrit Groenewegen (1754–1826), a Rotterdam artist best known for his seascapes and masterful ship etchings. Between 1786 and 1801, he created a series of 84 etchings, each a detailed depiction of a contemporary vessel.
Nederland 2025, (1,1,1,1,1) Ms;
Sources: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaster.
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_sea_shipping.