History of the Enkhuizen Nautical College

The Enkhuizen Nautical College Foundation was founded in 1978 with the aim of providing education to people working in the commercial sailing industry. Over the years, people with other (non-professional) backgrounds have also found their way to our courses.

Nautical education in Enkhuizen

Nautical education has a long tradition in Enkhuizen. As early as the 16th century, at a time when sailing ships from this then-important city sailed almost all the world’s oceans, Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer (1534-1605) was already teaching navigation here.

With the arrival of steamships and reliable engines, commercial sailing quickly lost its raison d’être. Clippers, schooners, barques, tjalks, schokkers, skûtsjes, and other large or small sailing freighters disappeared from the rivers and seas. Along with them, sailing training and knowledge about sailing large ships also vanished.
The turning point came in the 1960s. A young generation began to restore the remaining decaying and rusting ships and put them back into service. The costs were covered by sailing with passengers instead of cargo.

Gradually, this evolved into a fully-fledged industry with well-trained professionals.
Today, around 450 traditional ships are sailing in North-West Europe again. Tall ships can also be found in small numbers on the world’s oceans and in larger seaports. All these ships and their crews must now meet increasingly strict requirements. Consequently, high-quality training programs are necessary.

The nautical college in Enkhuizen is the only school in the world that still provides nautical education focussed on large sailing ships. It therefore holds a unique position and strength.