Classic Dutch-Build Coasters

The heyday of the Dutch coaster was the early 1960s when over 1000 were in service.

Traditionally coasters had been owned by families with ships passing from one generation to the next along with the knowledge to operate and trade them successfully. The new generation were men who had left deepsea trades and then bought a coaster or they were former crewmen who wanted to have their own vessel. As the 1960s progressed, competition increased in the coastal trades and the ships increased in size in order to carry more cargo.