Koninginnedok was the first iron floating dry dock in Amsterdam. It was built to service the ocean liners that came into use in the mid 19th century. The dry dock was important to maintain Amsterdam's position in the oceanic trade. Koninginnedok was a landmark of Amsterdam, clearly visible from the southern bank of the IJ and on city maps. As bigger floating docks and ocean liners came into use, Koninginnedok was relegated to serving smaller types of ships. It was moved to a less conspicuous location, but nevertheless served for over century.
The Suez Canal, which opened in 1869, made it economically feasible to operate steam shipping lines to the Dutch East Indies. In 1870, this led to the foundation of the Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (SMN). This company was based in Amsterdam, but its ships could not reach their home port and had to use the outport of Nieuwediep. Meanwhile, the North Sea Canal was constructed from 1865 to 1876. It was expected that as soon as the North Sea Canal would become suitable for ocean liners (this happened in October 1878), the ministry of defense would no longer allow SMN to use its dry docks in Nieuwediep.
In 1846, the first floating dry dock in the city; Amsterdam Wooden Drydock I had been commissioned. Up to 1857, it was followed by three more. These wooden dry docks were too small for SMN's and other ocean liners. They were located in the Oosterdok and Westerdok. This was beneficial as long as the IJ was tidal, but became a competitive disadvantage after the IJ was closed off by the Oranje Locks in 1872.
The situation led to two initiatives to establish new floating dry docks in Amsterdam. The first initiative led to the establishment of the Nederlansche Maatschappij voor Scheepsbouw en Dokken (NMSD) by Messrs. von Lindern. The other initiative was supported by the SMN and led to the foundation of the Amsterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (ADM).
Ordering and construction
The order for Koninginnedok was intrinsically linked to the foundation of the Amsterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij. Potential investors in ADM would want to have some idea of what that dry dock would cost. For this, the founders based their dry dock on the biggest ship that could pass the North Sea locks of the canal.[1] These allowed ships of 120 by 18 by 8m to pass. The founders then had William Pearce manager of John Elder & Co. Shipyard make a design for such a dry dock.[2][3] The same company had also built the first ocean liners of the SMN.
The tender for Koninginnedok
On 8 January 1878 ADM tendered the construction of Koninginnedok. It was to be a floating iron dry dock for merchant and navy ships. There was no fixed delivery date. The bidder had to state the time that it would take him to deliver the dry dock.[4] On 9 January 1878, the results of the tender were collected in 'Lokaal het Vosje' in Amsterdam.[5]
At first, the order seemed to go to C. Mitchell & Co., but in the end it went to Union A.G. from Dortmund. The management of ADM explained that even though Skerne Ironworks had made the lowest offer, it had not been selected because it had never made a dry dock in the Netherlands. ADM therefore feared that Skerne had miscalculated, especially with regard to the time of delivery. For ADM, this date was so important that it rather paid a bit more to have more certainty.[6] The concerns of the ADM management were justified. The Skerne Ironworks were in bad shape and would close down a second time in May 1879.[7]
Construction
Union A.G. assembled the dry dock on site. In May 1878, it started to make a construction site on the grounds of the ADM. [8] Most of the work on the dock would be done by Union's own employees, brought from Germany. These were about 250 strong and lived in a temporay wooden village. A visitor noted that it had excellent accomodation and food. Every day barges brought iron parts to the site. Small boats brought all kinds of other supplies.[9]
In July 1878, the first three pontoons for the bottom of the dock stood on temporary slipways, while a fourth slipway was under construction. Each pontoon would require about 75,000 rivets.[9] In August 1878, four pontoons were under construction.[10] The first pontoon was launched on 31 August, and another one was immediately started on the free slipway. The last pontoon was launched on 20 November. On 7 April 1879 the sides had been placed on each part of the dry dock and the two parts of the dry dock were moved to the location where it would begin service.[8]
Characteristics
Profile of Koninginnedok1905 map with ADM's three dry docks.
The design of Koninginnedok used English measures. It was to be 400ft (121.9m) long. The width between the sides was to be 71ft (21.6m) at the top and 63ft (19.2m) on the pontoon. Height was to be 30ft (9.1m) The lifting capacity had to be 4,000 tons with a center draft of 7ft 3in (2.2m).[4]
The basement of the dry dock would consist of two parts. Each would consist of four pontoons with a 'length' of 49ft (14.9m), a breadth of 92ft (28.0m), and a depth of hold of 7ft 9in (2.4m). There would be a space of 10in (0.3m) between the pontoons. Each pontoon was divided into three compartments.[4]
Each part was connected by two sides that were 198ft (60.4m) long. These were 10ft (3.0m) wide at the top and 14ft (4.3m) at the pontoon level. Each side consisted of four compartments and had a horizontal bulkhead that made an air chamber that would keep the dock afloat with the sides sticking out 2ft 9in (0.8m) above the water.[4]
The parts could be put together by a connection between the sides and form a big dry dock. It was also possible to use the parts as two small dry docks.[4]
The pumping machinery of the dry dock would consist of four high pressure steam engines and boilers and four centrifugal pumps. Each side of the two parts would have a boiler and engine. (The boilers are shown below the small houses on top of the sides on both the 1878–79 photos.) The pumps of either the Gwynne or Appold system, had to be able to lift the dock from its greatest draft within two hours.[4]
On the inside of the sides, there would be a 6ft 3in (1.9m) wide walkway at about two-thirds of the height of the sides. On each of the four sides, this would also contain two shores that could be lowered by winches and put against the sides of a docking ship to keep it upright. At the 'bow' and 'stern' of the complete dock, there would be a light iron bridge to connect the upper parts of the sides.[4]
The first location were Koninginnedok would serve was next to ADM's repair shipyard, see 1905 map. The site had been dredged to a depth of 10m. At each corner, and in the center, three anchors of 4,000kg kept it in place.[8]
Service
Ocean liner Stad Amsterdam on the dock, 1879The ADM on 6 April 1950At ADM on 26 March 1980
On 25 April 1879, King William III and Queen Emma visited Amsterdam. On the occasion, the queen christened the dry dock Koninginne Dok.[11] As people got accustomed to the name, they began to write it as one word 'Koninginnedok'.
On 28 April 1879 the test of the new dry dock failed. An attempt was made to lift SMN's new steamer Prinses Marie of 3800 ton. Of course she did not have to dock, because she had arrived straight from the shipyard. When she had been partially lifted, one of the Gwynnes pumps malfunctioned. The dock was then lowered to let the new steamer out again.[12]
Therefore another test was required. On 6 May 1879, Stad Amsterdam of 360 feet and 3,319 ton, i.e. 3,330,900kg was lifted successfully. She would be followed by Thorbecke II.[13] The rest of the year, Koninginnedok served 38 ships for 115 days.[14] In 1880 Koninginnedok 86 ships totalling 113,511t for 249 days.[15] In 1881, Koninginnedok served 55 steamships of 103,573t, 7 sailing ships op 7,264t, and 29 steamboats for inland navigation totalling 2,526t. The dock was occupied for 312 days.[15] In 1883 Koninginnedok served 138 ships totalling 185,060t for 355 days. In 1884, this was 140 ships of 187,303t for 347 days.[16]
By 1885, Koninginnedok was only one of the two dry docks of ADM, as in October 1884 ADM had acquired its competitor NMSD.[17] ADM then renamed the acquired dry dock Koningsdok.
In May 1899, Koninginnedok became even less important, as AMD took the new big Wilhelminadok into use. This was almost 130m long, and could lift 7,500ton. It had everything to do with the opening of a new biger lock in the North Sea Canal in December 1896. Wilhelminadok got a place next to Koninginnedok on its southeast side.[18]
The acquisition of the even bigger Julianadok in 1911 made that Wilhelminadok took the place of Koninginnedok, which was moved to a small harbor to the north, next to Koningsdok.[19]
During World War II, all dry docks of the ADM were sabotaged by the German occupiers. After the war Koninginnedok was repaired without much trouble. A 1950 image shows that Koninginnedok underwent several changes. E.g. the boiler houses on top of the sides were removed and cranes were added.
Koninginnedok was used until at least the late 1970s. In 1980 the ADM shipyard was moved from the Meeuwenlaan 60-64 to the terrain of the new ADM B.V. shipyard at the Klaprozenweg.[20] There are multiple pictures of Koninginnedok at the Meeuwenlaan in 1980, e.g. one of 26 March, see image. Meanwhile, the ADM NV became a holding company that participated in ADM B.V., but retained the ownership of numerous assets. Amongst these two docks.[20] It's not clear to which docks this referred, but a model of the new ADM B.V. shipyard did not show Koninginnedok. As it was over 100 years old in 1980, one can guess that Koninginnedok was broken up shortly after.
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