MBT Flute ship "Delfshaven" circa 1668 - Construction plan Scale 1 : 75 (10.00.034)

The fluitship “Delfshaven”, dated 1668, refers to a type of 17th-century Dutch sailing ship — the fluit (or fluyt) — which originated in the Golden Age of Dutch shipping. Below is a summary of what is known about this type of ship and what “Delfshaven 1668” probably means:

The Fluit (Fluitschip)

Type: Merchant vessel
Origin: Late 16th century (around 1595 in Hoorn)
Use: Merchant ship for the Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and later worldwide
Characteristics:

Narrow hull and wide deck, with a relatively small crew (low labour costs).

Shallow draught → ideal for shallow harbours such as those in the Baltic Sea.

Narrow stern and rounded hull → maximum cargo space with minimum toll (the Sound toll was calculated based on the width of the deck).

Usually 3 masts with gaff sails and staysails.

‘Delfshaven’ in 1668

“Delfshaven”was an important port near Rotterdam in the 17th century (at the time, the seaport of Delft).
A flute ship named Delfshaven from 1668 could therefore be:

either a specific historical vessel, built or registered in that port,

or a model or reconstruction (such as scale models or museum ship projects) bearing this year and this name.

There are indeed ship models and drawings of flute ships with names such as Delfshaven 1668, often representing a typical Dutch merchant vessel from that period, not necessarily an individual known ship.