Japanese dredgers built at Kinderdijk, Netherlands according to Dutch newspapers in 1886-1887

Het nieuws van de dag: kleine courant dated Saturday 20 February 1886 published an item which was earlier published in the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant. The afternoon before was at the yard of J&K Smit at Kinderdijk at 16.30 o’clock a steam hopper dredger launched on behalf of the Japanese government. The building was supervised by J.C.W. Loos and Van Ollefen on behalf of the A.1 Lloyds classification while extra ordinary supervisors were M.F. van den Kerkhoff and William walker of the German Lloyds. The engines and boilers were delivered by Diepeveen, Lels and Smit at Kinderdijk. After testing her engines was she taken apart to be transported to Japan where she was to be assembled again.

The edition dated 29 August 1887 published the next item. Rotterdam, 26 August. The steam sand dredger Kisogawa built at the yard of J.&K. Smit at Kinderdijk on behalf of the Japanese government had on 25 August a successful trial. She was schooner rigged and would ‘sail’ under own steam to Japan with as master D. Ouwehand Wzn.(1). Edition dated 13 September. Passed on 9 September St. Catherine’s Point and on 10 September Prawlepoint. Edition dated 28 September. Arrival at Port said on 25 September. Edition dated 12 October. Arrival at Aden on 9 October. Edition dated 19 December. Arrival at Yokohama on 16 December.

Note

1. Another Dutch newspaper the Zierikzeesche Courant dated 31 August 1887 confirmed this tiding and said that she was the second vessel build for the Japanese government. The Middelburgsche Courant dated 12 September reported that she was sighted on 8 September 17.00 o’clock by the Dutch lightship Schouwenbank and that everything was well on board.