Statue Frans Naerebout (Vlissingen)

 statue, sculpture

Frans Naerebout (Veere 1748-Goes 1888)
After his death it was written: "Only after his career ended people realized who and what he had been, how much they owed him and how often he was denied". In a different way than Michiel de Ruyter Frans Naerebout, who lived approximately 150 years later, served his country and fellow being. Different also than de Ruyter he was buried august 29th, 1819 in Goes. There were no shots fired in salute. The only thing he had in common with his fellow townsman was that statues for them were only erected long after their deaths. Naerebout's stands at a stone's throw from the Bellamypark Museum.

Frans Naerebout was born in Veere and raised in a poor fisherman's family. At an early age he and his brothers were involved in fishery off the coast of Zeeland. The trades of the fisherman and the harbour pilot were practiced simultaneously due to their familiarity with the location of sandbanks. In 1781 Frans Naerebout, his fishing vessel and four men were hired by the State to perform piloting services. In 1783 he was appointed harbour pilot for the Eastindia Company, Zeeland region.

Talking about Naerebout as a lifesaver we end up in the year 1779. In the early hours of july 23rd, 1779 the Frigate "de Woestduyn", coming from Batavia, was approaching the coast of Zeeland. The ship had just been out for months, and spirits were high among crew and passengers, many of them women and children. Many of them hadn't been home for years. In the English Channel a pilot had boarded, who claimed to be familiar with the sandbanks off the coast. The intention was to reach Flushings harbour through the Deurloo, a deep stretch of water between the sandbanks. The captain noticed the pilot's rather nervous behaviour and informed after his knowledge of the Zeeland waters once more; a question again answered affirmative by the pilot, who was from Texel. In the late afternoon things went awry after all; disaster struck. With an abrupt bang movement was halted and to a terrible screech the vessel bore into the sand. Frightened cries were heard: "Help, we are shipwrecked".


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