Monday, May 15, 2017

Simon Stevin's sand yacht, 1600


Sand yachts have an even longer history. Simon Stevin, military engineer to Prince Mauritz of Nassau, and, incidentally, the inventor of the decimal system, built this one for the Prince in 1600. The engraving shows the proud owner doing 20 miles an hour on the beach at Schreveningen. He had just beaten the Spanish invaders at the Battle of Nieuport and the captured Admiral Don Mendoza is among the passengers he is seeking to impress.

Early Mechanical Carriages, Rhys Jenkins, a member of the Newcomen Society, in issues of The Antiquary for 1896.

https://www.ilab.org/eng/documentation/364-insider_collecting__rare_books_on_automobiles_ships_steam_coaches.html

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