Arnemuiden

Historical Shipyard C.A. Meerman
The Arnemuiden shipyard is one of the oldest in the Netherlands. In 1763 the town council issued a licence for a shipyard with slipway. In 1786 Jacob Meerman bought the yard with corresponding shed, slipway and tools. The two historical sheds were built around 1870 and have remained practically unchanged up to the present. All the original tools are still present in the sheds. In the late Middle Ages Arnemuiden was an outport for Antwerp, Bruges and Middelburg. For repairs and maintenance of sea-going vessels, coasters and fishing boats often moored there. Boats were also built here for buyers in the Netherlands and far beyond. Sandbanks made the roadstead and port of Arnemuiden more difficult to access in the course of the 18th century. The emphasis was increasingly on the construction of smaller boats for offshore fishing, such as the typical "hoogaars" (Zeeland fishing boats) on the Meerman yard. In 1962 Meerman launched its last boat for pleasure cruising. The yard closed in 1986. Up until 2003 the yard had remained the property of the Meerman family. Subsequently the municipality of Middelburg purchased the shipyard for a single symbolic euro.
Practical: In 2006 the restauration of the shipyard has been finished. The yard is now used for restauration and maintenance of historical wooden ships. From 2007 onwards the yard is open for the public.
Information: Historische Scheepswerf C.A.Meerman, Zuidwal 63, 4341 CH Arnemuiden,
tel. 0031-118 41 00 45, info@werfarnemuiden.nl, www.werfarnemuiden.nl