skutsje

A skûtsje is a traditional dutch sailing ship of 12 to 20 meters long, originally built as cargo boats from the 18th century up to about 1930. It belongs to the Tjalk type sailing ships, barges designed to sail the lakes and canals. Typically they have no keel, but two leeboards.

After 1930 most skûtsjes were refitted with engines, but were too small to compete with the new barges. Like most tjalk type ships, around 1950 they were considered obsolete, and either abandoned, sold as scrap metal or refitted to serve as houseboats.

Part of the tjalk fleet were rebuilt for charter sailing vacations on the large dutch lake IJsselmeer and Waddenzee. That included some skûtsjes, but due to their limited height and size these usually offer room for 8 to 12 passengers, where other tjalk type barges and clippers can house up to 40 passengers. 

The Frisians found another use for skûtsjes, they organize a Frisian traditional sailing championship in two leagues. The IFKS is an open competition, SKS is strictly Frisian. A number of towns bought their own skûtsje and enter it into the races, mainly for fun, honor and prestige. For some, it has become a family tradition.

Over time the organizing committee have developed more standards the ships have to comply to in order to compete, all based on traditional design, the main rule being that the skûtsje itself has to be built on a Frisian wharf.

Listed below are the upcoming sailing events for dutch traditional tjalk type ships, including the ifks and sks matches in july and august.