The Neeltje Catharina was a Dutch wooden sailing lugger built in 1885.

She left the port of IJmuiden in the Netherlands on August 31st, 1918 to the so-called 'free shipping lane' to go fishing for herring between buoys no. 3 and 4.* The ship has been missing ever since. It has probably been lost with all hands due to war actions.

Perished crewmen (also see references):

Jacob van der Plas, 41 years
Johannes den Hollander, 43 years
Jacobus Bruin, 41 years
Cornelis van der Plas, 37 years
Arie Bruin, 16 years
Dirk den Hollander, 17 years

*) The 'free shipping lane' was a dedicated shipping route on the North Sea that was indicated by the German government as the only area where neutral ships could still sail in relative safety. The waters outside of this zone were considered to be war areas and there a total U-boat war was waged and sea mines were placed. It ran through the North Sea, roughly in a corridor between waters controlled by the Dutch and the British.

Owner: Taconis and de Graaf

Public Domain

• uitspraak van de raad voor de scheepsvaart.
• delpher.nl.
  Scheepvaart 21-09-1918.
• Katwijkzee.nl.
  namenlijst monument Katwijk.