Supervision of the historic sailing fleet has improved considerably after a number of fatal accidents. This has made the fleet a lot safer, according to a new report from the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) on Wednesday.
The Netherlands has the largest historic sailing fleet in the world, with more than two hundred ships. The ships were previously used for freight shipping, but were converted into group accommodations around the 1970s.
“The Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management has started working expeditiously with, among others, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, the skippers and the owners of the sailing ships. It is positive that all parties are committed to keeping safety risks as small as possible,” says Chris van Dam, chairman of the OVV.
The mast, sails and ropes of all historic ships have been checked. Ships that do not meet the standard are not allowed to sail. The OVV calls for new knowledge and expertise to continue to look critically at standards and supervision.
The new report follows a September 2023 report that alerted the fleet to the safety of the ships. In 2022, two fatal accidents occurred due to a boom breaking off. In the summer, a twelve-year-old girl was killed when a boom fell on her. The boom had broken off due to wood rot. Later, a 79-year-old man died in a similar accident.
Tags: Historic sailing fleet safer due supervision fatal accidents Domestic
