Fate of The Crew
Unlike its predecessor, the Batavia which was wrecked in 1629, the Jacht (as its type of fast ship was known) immediately began to break up.
Only 75 survivors (of 193 originally on board) made it to shore. They then quickly dispatched a small boat with the Understeersman and six others to Batavia to seek help. They arrived 40 days after the wrecking and reported that as they sailed away they saw the other survivors trying to refloat a larger boat that had capsized in the surf while landing.
Two vessels were immediately sent south in search, but they failed in difficult conditions to sight either the wreckage or the survivors. Eleven men and a boat were also lost during the search.
In January 1658 two other ships were sent out in search but also proved unsuccessful. A boat from one of these vessels commanded by Abraham Leeman also disappeared, but it successfully returned to Batavia, arriving nearly six months after having been given up as lost.
Read more about this topic: Vergulde Draeck
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