Prins Willem 1

[Jan Hendrik]

Built for the Provincial Steamboat Services in Zeeland (Southern Holland).
Launching took place on July 8th, 1933.
In 1939 reconstructed into a minesweeper for the Royal Dutch Navy.
In May 1940 she sank on account of war activities, but was resurfaced in August 1942 and was eventually refurbished in Flushing.
Then 1st June 1943 she was bombed and sank again, later same month she was taken out the water and put on the dry.
July 1946, after another refit and a lengthening with 6 metres she was put back into the water and re-delivered to the Owners in Sept 1946.
March 1972 after the ferry services ended the vessel was sold to Feenstra in Rotterdam and renamed: “Willem 1”
In 1974 she was rebuilt into a trawler, Panamanian flagged and renamed “Perseverance”, then during a voyage to West Africa she caught fire and was taken back to IJsselmonde (near Rotterdam).
Laid up for a while until the company was declared bankrupt and the vessel was ultimately scrapped.

You find this model in the restaurant in Terneuzen (Zeeland) near the heads from the North Sea.

[thunderd]

She surely did have an eventful life Jan, interesting post.

[Jan Hendrik]

Found a website with the ship still active in 1972.
This is the port of Terneuzen.

http://www.schuttevaer.nl/default.lynkx?pointer=1-2-3-97-1342-523

[Ricardo87]

Does anyone know her last owner before she went to the scrapyard ?

[Billieboy]

I only ever watched here arrive and sail from Terneuzen to Hodensekerke, unfortunately I never had occasion to take passage on her. It was a sad day when the service was finally closed down. Even today one can hear people saying, "De boot is weg!", (the boat has sailed!). I was in Terneuzen last July for a wedding party, it really is well organized for Tourism these days, it's no longer "Just the port, at one end of the Gent Canal!"