A walk on the ship
Explore the pinas
Reconnaissance
Although the design of this part of the Witsen Shipbuilding program is strongly based on the gaming world, it has been intentionally crafted not to make the interior look explicitly “real.” For example, while the masts and yards have been made according to the measurements in Witsen’s book, they are not equipped with rigging and sails. The focus here is on the construction of the ship and the way it was built. As a result, some parts may appear somewhat stylized and sharply defined. We have tried to provide the user with an image of the ship’s interior and exterior without indulging in romantic elements of the decor, except where their dimensions have been explicitly given by Witsen.
A pinas was an armed merchant vessel with a flat transom, three masts, and a bowsprit. It was the main trading ship for navigation within Europe and North Africa, but it was also used for voyages to North America and the Caribbean, particularly by the WIC. The VOC also sailed with pinasses as return ships, although they were modified for the long journey to the Indies in terms of size, armament, and dimensions. The pinas is known as the iconic image of the 17th-century ship, with its billowing sails, fluttering flags, and threatening cannon barrels protruding from the gun ports.
