The mail boat connected Wieringen to the mainland from 1912 to 1926, transporting mail, passengers and livestock. Since 2022, the ship has been back in Wieringen. - Westerland

The Post Boat connected Wieringen to the mainland from 1912 to 1926, transporting mail, passengers and livestock. Since 2022, the ship has been back in Wieringen.

The Mail Boat is inextricably linked to the history of Wieringen. Between 1912 and 1926, when Wieringen was still an island, the small ship provided the only connection to the mainland.

The Mail Boat was therefore of vital importance to the people of Wieringen. Contrary to what its name suggests, the boat did not only transport mail. It also transported passengers, cargo and even livestock to and from the mainland.

The ferry service sailed back and forth between De Haukes on Wieringen and Van Ewijcksluis on the mainland. Once in Van Ewijcksluis, the journey could be continued by tram in the direction of Schagen.

Before 1896, the connection was maintained by sailing ships, after which a petroleum motorboat named “Posterijen” was put into service. On 24 December 1911, the new Postboot was delivered.

After the completion of the road over the Amsteldiepdijk in 1926, the Postboot became redundant. On 12 March of that year, the Postboot made its last crossing and was sold.

The construction of the Zuiderzee Works did not immediately spell the end for the Postboot. The ship continued to be used for some time to make round trips to the Afsluitdijk.

However, blood is thicker than water. In March 2022, the former Postboot was purchased by three private individuals with the aim of returning the ship to Wieringen. A tribute to the little ship that was once so important to the people of Wieringen.

Photo: ©Kenneth Stamp, Municipality of Hollands Kroon