I often get questions about my username on all my social media platforms. Not here on Steemit yet, but I expect to get them.
So here's an article that I'll use for all future references to clear things up.
A fluyt is a Dutch wooden sailing ship from the 16th century till the 18th century. Why am I fascinated with it? Because it's the tool my nation used to achieve its wealth and status in the world and lead it into greatness.
Dutch Fluyts at the Battle of the Dunes (1658)
Now it would be politically incorrect in the current Netherlands to have such patriotism (because, don't you know about how bad and evil we were in our colonial past etc?). I'd like to state that any barbarism done in those times is not a flaw of white people or Europeans but rather a flaw of all peoples. I think the negative images are over-represented because all empires have blood on their hands. Eventually it's only Europeans who had the altruism to abolish all the oppressive systems in centuries that were to come, systems that are still kept in place by many other peoples today. Either way, those times had to fulfill in order to get where we are now so you'd better be grateful for the blood and sweat of your ancestors so that you could live in a better time.
Our nation may never even have existed without this great tool. It crossed the mighty oceans with brave men, women and children at the risk of their lives to search new trade routes, territory and transport cargo. Our Golden Age couldn't have happened without the fluyt and we would've likely lost the Eighty Years' War against Spain that gave our nation independence.
What sets it apart from contemporary ships was its unique design that allowed for more cargo space, cheaper construction, faster speeds and a smaller crew. Foreign cargo-ships would later adopt to the standards of the fluyt. During 1670 about half of the European trade was shipped by Dutch fluyts!
The legendary 'Flying Dutchman' ghost ship is also a fluyt. Another famous fluyt ship is the 'Batavia' from 1628, which has an incredible (and gruesome) adventure attached to it on which I'll write about later ( Good reason to follow ? ;-). A replica of this beautiful ship was built from 1985 to 1995, see below:
So anyone from the future asking about my username, now you know!
