Historical Description

The Anna Catharina was beginning her third voyage to the Dutch East Indies with her sister ship, 't Vliegent Hert, when she struck a sandbar on February 3, 1735, and promptly sunk 18 km off the coast of Vlissingen. Both ships, along with both crews, were lost that day.

Discovery

The wreck site of 't Vliegent Hert was discovered in September 1981, after almost three years of searching. Along with other objects recovered from the wreck site, 2,000 gold and 5,000 silver coins were found. The two ships sunk within around 6 km of each other.

Some of the coins recovered from the wreck site of 't Vliegent Hert.

A depiction of the wreck of 't Vliegent Hert.

Dutch East Indiaman (spiegelretourschip)

Built: 1728 in a wharf in Middelburg for the VOC Chamber of Zeeland

Length: 130 foot

Tonnage: 300 last (600 ton)

Crew: 100-150

Captain: Jacob de Prinse