A skûtsje (pronounced 'skootshuh') is a

Frisia Frisia () is a Cross-border region, cross-border Cultural area, cultural region in Northwestern Europe. Stretching along the Wadden Sea, it encompasses the north of the Netherlands and parts of northwestern Germany. Wider definitions of "Frisia" ...

sailing boat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

of the type tjalk or

Dutch barge A Dutch barge is a traditional flat-bottomed shoal-draught barge, originally used to carry cargo in the shallow '' Zuiderzee'' and the waterways of The Netherlands. There are many types of Dutch barge, with characteristics determined by regiona ...

, originally an ordinary cargo boat, but today a prized ship and one of the

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

s of

. Skûtsjes were built from the 18th century until about 1930 and are long and on average wide, with a maximum of (based on the standard dimensions of Frisian bridges and locks). 2Gebroeders1909

In the 1920s and 1930s, many skûtsjes were fitted with engines, and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the sails were often removed. Nevertheless, other, much larger, powered boats took over water transportation in the area and many skûtsjes were rebuilt into

houseboat A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily for regular dwelling. Most houseboats are not motorized, as they are usually moored or kept stationary, fixed at a Berth (moorings), berth, and often tethered to ...

s or luxurious sailing

yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...

s. Over time, more and more were restored to their original state. There is a yearly racing event in Friesland called ''

Skûtsjesilen Skûtsjesilen is a Friesland, Frisian regatta with skûtsjes, in particular, the races organised by the Sintrale Kommisje Skûtsjesilen (SKS) and the Iepen Fryske Kampioenskippen Skûtsjesilen (IFKS). History In the early nineteenth century, co ...

''. Such races were already held in the early 19th century, but since 1945 they have been regulated through a committee, SKS. In these races, each Skûtsje represents a city or village. In 1981 another organisation, IFKS, also started organising races. This racing already started early in the 20th century when villages in Friesland or more precisely often the bar and hotel owners made prizes available for the winner. At that time the skipper and his family lived on board in a narrow cabin and before the race, the family and the interior of the cabin were placed ashore to make the boat as light as possible at the start of the race. The Skûtsjemuseum in Eernewoude (Frisian: Earnewâld) started building a new skûtsje named the Æbelina, out of wood in the old traditional way, it was launched in August 2009.

References

*J&J Griffin: ''The Quick Reference Guide to Dutch Barges'', UK, 2007. *De doem van eer : AEbelina, pronkjuweel van het Skûtsjemuseum 2009.

External links

Central Commission for Skûtsje Sailing
Sailboat types {{ship-type-stub