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History
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
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