The Elzenburg was a fluytship (a type of Dutch merchant vessel) outfitted for the transatlantic triangular trade. She sailed for the WIC (Dutch West India Company) chamber of the Noorderkwartier.

The ship was in Suriname in February 1730 when the skipper, Isaak Roelofsz Schooneveldt, passed away. He was succeeded by Jan Haack. The ship departed Suriname for the Netherlands on August 25, 1730.

Cargo
The return cargo consisted of 970 barrels of sugar and 18,000 pounds of coffee beans.

Ran aground
On November 11, they sighted Lizard Point in England. The following day, a strong westerly wind sprang up. The captain and chief mate calculated that the ship should be off the Isle of Wight. Consequently, they set an easterly course, believing they were following the south coast of England. However, a few hours later, the ship ran aground on a beach. It turned out they had not been following the southern English coast but had ended up much further along—specifically, off the coast of northern France, near Étaples.

They then launched the longboat in an attempt to save themselves. Three men drowned when the boat broke loose and capsized.
The rest of the crew remained on board. They cut down the mainmast to help keep the wreck somewhat upright. The next morning, the tide went out, leaving the *Elzenburg* high and dry. This allowed the crew to walk from the wreck to the shore.

Salvage
Local authorities arrived quickly on the scene. Sails, anchors, and other equipment were salvaged from the ship with the crew's assistance. Eight days later, the vessel was sent to the Netherlands. Only the captain and the chief mate remained behind in Étaples. The cargo was salvaged by the French authorities. The Amsterdam archival document does not state what subsequently became of the cargo. However, a surviving document from the Society of Suriname, dated 15 February 1732, reveals that a portion of the cargo (amounting to 44 hogsheads) was saved and accounted for.* The ship was lost.

• SAA, Inventarissen
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