'Old wood'

'Oh yes, old wood .....'
A cool remark by young guys on the statesyacht 'de Utrecht' appearing in the distance, its bow turning around the corner.
Old wood it is for sure. 300m3 of 200 years old beech wood were used to build the ship. Grown in Denmark from Dutch acorns.

We have a few spectacular flat bottom ships floating around, but this one so appeals to me that I made sure I was at a high bridge early not to miss it and to take a few more pictures. In my enthousiasm informing everyone (stopping to have a look at the river) something very special would be passing by soon.

In the mean time I have googled the interior, but something that really puzzles me is how it is steered by. A steerwheel could not be seen on the outside, nor on the pictures of the interior on internet.
On a river walk afterwards I discussed it with a ship builder who was moored off with his (also fantastic) own made steel ship. It could be many ways he explained, for instance by a joy stick. A joy stick! A replica of 1746 steered by a joy stick! Well, modern comforts!
I saw the captain in his white t-shirt (with sails at the back of it) on deck once the yacht was through the bridge - the admiral yacht maybe on 'automatic'?!

Below a few more pictures to share with you.