Clipper Stad Amsterdam Special

This feature is a special on the Dutch Clipper Stad Amsterdam.  The renowned three-master departed on a three-year world tour in 2023 from the Netherlands and has so far visited London, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Tokyo and Hong Kong. A few days ago, the ship departed from Sorong, Indonesia, with destination Sydney. Dutchlink, in collaboration with Randstad,  is excited to offer a unique opportunity to board this remarkable Dutch vessel on the 17th of August, 2024. Visiting the famous tall ship is a rare chance, as even at large sail events, the general public is typically not permitted to board due to port regulations.

Visit the event page for  more information and tickets for the Stad Amsterdam.

• The Clipper Stad Amsterdam Story

  The Clipper Stad Amsterdam is a vessel with a story. It all started during the SAIL Amsterdam 1995 event, when five municipal councilors were travelling by barge from the VOC-ship Amsterdam to the mayor’s official residence. “Wouldn’t it be great,” one of them said, “to build another one of those great sailing ships from the past, as a symbol of the commercial spirit of the city of Amsterdam?”

  The ship was subsequently commissioned by Randstad in collaboration with the City of Amsterdam. The project provided work experience and training for 138 previously inexperienced and underprivileged people, equipping them with the skills to succeed in the workforce. Today, the Clipper continues to provide working opportunities for those seeking to gain hands-on experience in maritime jobs. The chance to work with master craftsmen provided them with a set of skills that would later help them find new positions.

  The ship officially launched in 2000. Rita Kok, wife of the then Prime Minister Wim Kok, christened the ship and the clipper was revealed to the public for the first time during the SAIL Amsterdam 2000 event.

  In 2011 the Clipper Stad Amsterdam made a memorable visit to Sydney. Watch the short documentary for a summery of the visit.

• Ship Details

  One of the largest tall ships currently actively sailing, the Clipper Stad Amsterdam is 76 metres long and carries 31 sails with a total area of 2,200 square metres. She has an authentic square rig, a pointed bow and is registered under the Dutch flag as a passenger ship. The three-masted clipper was designed by Gerard Dijkstra who modelled her after the mid-19th century frigate Amsterdam. The ship was build at the Damen Shipyard in the Netherlands.

  On the upper deck you feel like you’ve boarded an actual nineteenth-century clipper ship. The beautiful chart house, original rigging, excellently maintained teak woodwork and the hoisting and setting of the sails are all exactly as they would have been in days gone by.

  The clipper can reach a speed of 17 knots under full sail.

• Second Voyage of the Beagle

  In September 2009 the Clipper Stad Amsterdam was refitted to accommodate a televised research expedition, tracing Charles Darwin’s second voyage of the HMS Beagle (1831-1836). The ship re-sailed the route of the Beagle in approximately 8 months while collecting information to allow comparison between Charles’s Beagle observations and the current ones. For this journey, the Clipper Stad Amsterdam departed from the English port of Plymouth on September 1, 2009. The show was aired by the Dutch public broadcaster VPRO as Beagle: in het kielzog van Darwin.
  Check his LINK for the full route of this journey.