Story of the Botters

The Foundation for the Preservation of Elburger Botters, as a group of about 170 volunteers, forms one large botter family. Since 1975, the foundation has been committed to restoring and keeping alive the cultural-historical sailing heritage, the knowledge of the construction and restoration of fishing vessels and the historic inland harbour.
The botter museum and the wharf give a beautiful picture of what it was like in the past. The shipyard is also a learning and working project for young people and adults to apply woodworking and old techniques. The EB15 was launched in April 2022 after a long restoration period and now the new challenge, the EB25, is ready to be converted from wreck to sailing ship.
This year you can admire an exhibition about 'Hanze & Herring' in the botter museum with works by local artists and school youth. A visit to the botter museum is also the best way to experience what it was like to fish on the Zuiderzee. The museum, which opened in 2010, shows the history of fishing and botters. Old fishing and restoration techniques can be seen and experienced. Visitors can caulk a piece themselves and walk into a recreated forecastle. From this year onwards you will also find QR codes in the museum with even more explanation about what you see.
But of course sailing on a botter remains the experience par excellence! Wind in your hair, sun on your face, enjoying the elements and being together. Listening to stories about the sailing past of the Zuiderzee fishermen, you will take a sailing trip on a more than 100-year-old botter together with an experienced skipper and boarder. At the agreed time, a botter will be ready to sail in the port of Elburg. There is room for a maximum of 12 guests per botter. For larger groups it is possible to leave with several boats at the same time. The standard botter tour is with the 'bite on a piece of cake package', which is without catering. It is of course possible to bring your own snacks, but we also offer various catering packages, in a real 'food basket', like the ones the fishermen took on board.
In the months of July and August you can sail individually as a guest on a botter. It is necessary to book in advance, because full is full. Tickets for these tours are only available at the tourist office at Jufferenstraat 8, in Elburg, every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:30 PM to 3 PM and from 3:30 PM to 5 PM. During the annual Fortress Days (a number of Wednesdays in the summer) you can buy a ticket at the old water pump at the harbor and sail along.
We hope to welcome you this year for a boat trip and a visit to our museum and to experience the atmosphere where past and present meet