After the French occupation the Netherlands became an independent kingdom and the trade shipping towards the Dutch East Indies was gain possible. However in 1814 didn't the Dutch East Indies Company exist anymore and what was left of her ships was sold after 1801 to private entrepreneurs. The war between the French empire and countries like England made it nearly continuous impossible to use these ships. In 1814 there was just a cargo capacity of 10.000 lasten available in the Netherlands. To compensate this ships had to be bought or build abroad, mainly in the Baltic area, England and the United States. The Dutch government encouraged the Dutch merchant shipping and building along with other measures with subsidies (Fonds Nationale Nijverheid) and freights (Nederlandsche Handels Maatschappij). Slowly the yards at Rotterdam, Dordrecht but also in Middelburg and Zierikzee begun to built new East Indiamen. An increasing number of ships was build.
18 December 1838. Zierikzee, Saturday 15 December. The first stone of the buildings of the commerciewerf (later also called the City Yard) was 24 November laid by H.W. le Sage ten Broek and at the same time was the keel laid down of the ship Stad Zierikzee of 400 Java lasten.(1) She destined for the trade towards the Dutch East Indies. The Dutch king provided an interest-free loan of ƒ 10.000 from the Fonds Nationale Nijverheid to build the yard and took for his own account for a considerable amount part in the company.
28 July 1840. It was expected that the day after tomorrow [Thursday] 30 July around 15.00 o'clock the Stad Zierikzee was launched. Only people in the possession of entrance cards were admitted to the yard.
31 July 1840. Zierikzee, 30 July. Today was the handsome built by C. Mak bark ship Stad Zierikzee of 400 lasten launched. She was destined for the trade towards the Dutch East Indies. Master was D.C.T. Sass. The yard was hired by H.W. le Sage ten Broek.
7 July 1840. In an advertisement were 10 sailors and 4 boys between the 13 and 16 year old asked to sign on the Stad Zierikzee. The boys were to become scholars. The interested persons could sign on by her master D.C.T. Sass until the end of the month at the city yard.
6 October 1840. Zierikzee, 5 October. She left yesterday morning 08.00 o'clock Zierikzee and reached open sea before 12.00 o’clock.
Note
1. In 1826 was the standard to calculate the cargo capacity of a ship the so-called roggelast (rogge=rye) of 2.075 kilo’s. In 1827 made the Nederlandsche Handels Maatschappij a list of all colonial products with their weights corresponding with the space needed for one roggelast. This became known as the Java last. For instance the weight of a Java last tea was 1.000 kilo, of pepper 1.600, of rice 2.000 and of coffee 1.500 kilo (in the practice in fact 1.800).
