werf bijzonderheden | The ship yard - today known as the Van Dam Shipyard - dates as far back as 1600.
In those days the yard was known as "Helling" (the Dutch word for Slipway) being still the street name of the yard's location.
Arie van Dam, youngest son of the well known Van Dam shipbuilding family, decides to start his own business and on 26 January 1881 he buys the yard in Aalsmeer for the amount of 4401,- Dutch Guilders.
He builds many small cargo ships, used by the farmers to transport their merchandise to the city of Amsterdam
In 1908 Arie is followed up by his son Adriaan.
Commercial crafts are the main production but he
starts with building "jachten" - small wooden
pleasure boats - used by the aristocrats to sail the beautiful lakes and canals, Holland is so richly
endowed with.
Willem van Dam takes over the yard in 1939.
The 2nd. world war starts half a year later and the production of pleasure boats soon comes to a stop.
In 1945 Willem picks up the construction of pleasure boats again and soon he starts to export his crafts to the U.S.A.
1950 The demand for pleasure crafts grows fast and it is decided to expand the yard with a new production hall.
1956 A start is made with the production of Custom-designed sailing yachts.
1968 Steel pushes back the traditional wood as building material. In collaboration with the well-known Naval Architect Sieb van der Meer, Van Dam produces many steel custom built TREWES sailing yachts to his design, being exported all over the world. At the same time Van Dam builds his first
aluminium sailing yacht. |