The V.O.C. packet-boats (1788-1794)

The States General of the United Netherlands Provinces recognized that by coordinating these efforts a more lucrative trade could be set up.

The result of these efforts was the founding of the Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (V.O.C.) in 1602. This government supported enterprise over the years developed into what we would now call a ‘multinational’. The States General granted licenses to the VOC lasting roughly 20 years each. The last one expired December 31, 1799, signifying the end of the VOC.

For the VOC to better function, timely communication between the head office in Amsterdam and the various overseas ‘factories’ was crucial. A plan was made to build 10 special vessels (Packet-boats) whose main function was to transport mail. These packet-boats should be able to make a roundtrip in about 11 months, compared to the more common 18 months for the older, and mostly larger vessels.

To finance this enterprise it was decided to take along private mail (and not just company mail) and charge the recipients of the mail for this service. The amount charged depended on the ‘format’ of the mail. Although there are no official records of what these nine formats represent it is known that they were referring to the size of the letters sent.

 Form       Rate 
     1       6 stuivers
     2 	  12 stuivers
     3 	  1 guilder
     4 	  2 guilders
     5 	  3 guilders
     6 	  4 guilders
     7 	  5 guilders
     8 	  6 guilders
     9 	  7 guilders

The VOC made four different hand cancels for this purpose. They could be considered 'postage due' cancels, since they were applied at the departure point of the letter, indicating the amount of money the receiver had to pay in order to take possession of the letter. One cancel was for 6 stuivers, the second one for 1 guilder, the third one 2 guilders and one for 3 guilders. By combining the various cancels and using one more then once, all possible rates could be made up.

Each vessel had a total crew (from captain down to the two deckhands) of only 24 on board; all well trained seamen. Although in general no passengers were on board, this occasionally happened. The most famous passenger ever undoubtedly was Captain Bligh (from the Mutiny on the Bounty fame), who hitched 'a ride back home' on board the Vlijt.

The schedule visualized was to have a packetboat leave the Netherlands every three months, and complete a roundtrip in 11 month. This would mean that under ideal circumstances only four vessels were needed. To be a bit more flexible five vessels were originally assigned to the full Netherlands — Batavia rotation. The other five built had different assignments.

The sixth vessel had to make a trip twice a year between Cape Good Hope and Ceylon to assure good communication with this part of the VOC enterprise, while the other four vessels were for backup. Two were stationed in Batavia, the others in Ceylon and Amsterdam.

The vessels were built by the various chambers at their own wharves. Amsterdam built four, Zeeland two, and the others one each.