The Noordhollandsch Kanaal ("Great North Holland Canal") is a canal originally meant for ocean-going ships. It is located in North Holland, Netherlands. The canal was of great significance in Dutch history.

Location

The canal is about 75 kilometers long. Nowadays, it is a canal that connects several cities in North Holland. It starts at Den Helder in the north, and then goes through Alkmaar and Purmerend, and ends opposite the IJ at Amsterdam. As such it is one of the many canals in the Netherlands. However, from its construction till about 1880 it had a totally different character, because it was a canal meant for ocean-going ships. Ships would sail from the Americas or East-Asia, and then be towed along the canal from Den Helder to Amsterdam.

Context and Plans

The Zuiderzee becomes less navigable

During the 17th century the Zuiderzee became ever less navigable for sea-going ships of the cities on its shores. Amsterdam was especially challenged by the shallows near Pampus, which hindered the connection between the IJ and the rest of the Zuiderzee. Sometimes this problem could be solved by using ship camels, but in general the solution was sought in transloading goods on smaller vessels while the sea-going ships anchored on the Rede van Texel. These smaller vessels would then continue to Amsterdam and other cities, where most of the goods would again be transloaded. This incurred a huge problem for the competitiveness of the harbor of Amsterdam.

The harbor of Nieuwediep Warships were also bothered by the situation in the Zuiderzee. Therefore, a harbor for warships was constructed at Nieuwediep from 1781 to 1785. From the start this was used by merchant ships. Even though Nieuwediep did not have quays at first, but it did have pile moorings. Ships could thus transload in port instead of at sea, thereby reducing cost, and increasing speed. Many heavy ships also wintered at Nieuwediep, especially the heavy East Indiaman of the Dutch East India Company.

Plans to (re)connect Amsterdam to the sea + Incoming ships in Amsterdam 1816–1829 Year Number 1816 2,563 1817 3,077 1818 1,759 1819 2,113 1820 2,494 1821 2,161 1822 2,159 1823 2,106 1824 1,729 1825 1,606 1826 1,887 1827 1,982 1828 2,132 1829 2,029

After the Netherlands became independent again in 1813, King William I of the Netherlands attempted to revitalize the Dutch economy, which had been entirely ruined during the French period. The king centered part of his efforts on improving, extending and updating roads and waterways in the Netherlands. This included a project to improve the connection of Amsterdam to the sea. The Voorne Canal was a similar project for Rotterdam.

A few years after the canal had been opened, an overview of the number of ships arriving in Amsterdam from 1817 to 1828 was published. It shows that the first years after regaining independence probably gave rise to high expectations for the recovery of Amsterdam as a major harbor. The figures do not show a clear effect of the first operational year of the canal in 1825. For 1826 and 1827 the author of the overview gives other numbers than Westrman gave in 1936.

Legend has it that King William I used a pencil to indicate that a canal should be dug from Amsterdam straight to the west. But this would have cut through the dunes, about where the North Sea Canal is now. At the time this would have been a very major technological challenge. Others have this as a fact, and say that Inspector General Jan Blanken prevented this plan. His reasons are supposed to have been: the cost of digging through the dunes; The cost of the stone dams that would have to stretch into the sea; and the need to have a canal to the navy base at Willemsoord.

The plan for a canal to Nieuwediep

The government then decided to construct a canal from Amsterdam to Nieuwediep, and ordered Jan Blanken to make a design. Blanken proposed a canal from Tolhuis, on the north shore of the IJ across Amsterdam, towards Nieuwediep. On the south shore, a dyke would have to be made in the IJ from Het Blauwhoofd in the northwest of the city, to Zeeburg in the east. This would create a large wet dock in the north of Amsterdam. Amsterdam and its Chamber of Commerce did not like this plan, because they feared that at least part of their trade would move to Nieuwediep. They also did not like the dyke, because they thought it would cause delays for smaller vessels. In the end the city agreed, but on condition that the dyke would only be made after the canal was ready. The city would contribute 1,000,000 guilders to the canal, and the state would contribute 300,000 guilders to dredging in front of the city.

At first, the objections of Amsterdam also had to do with the size of the canal. The first lock at Nieuwdiep was only 33 Amsterdam feet, or 9.34 m wide. This width would limit the canal to ships of 200 lasts (somewhat below 400 ton cargo capacity). At the time, a significant part of sea going ships was about 250 lasts or bigger. The answer of Amsterdam to the plans therefore included that it wanted a lock of 40 feet wide, and a canal depth of 15 feet. Amsterdam was also afraid that shipbuilders would move to Den Helder, and asked for a ban on building new, or expanding the existing, shipyards at Nieuwediep. In 1822 this ban would even be expanded to founding factories for salt or sugar, or other big factories, without express government permission. With regard to trade at Den Helder, this was already forbidden by laws dating from the French period.

The net result was that Amsterdam got a canal wide and deep enough for ocean-going ships. Once the ocean-going ships arrived before Amsterdam however, its harbor would prove insufficient. Like Blanken had predicted, the dredging efforts did not succeed in ameliorating the situation. After the Goudriaan plan for a canal that bypassed Pampus got underway, Amsterdam finally gave in. Blanken's plan was changed to build only the Westerdok and Oosterdok wet docks. In between, Amsterdam would retain its open connection to the sea.

Construction

Leadership The construction of the canal was led by Inspector General Jan Blanken. In Spring 1819 he moved to Nieuwediep to lead construction from there. Other engineers stationed at Nieuwediep were: J. Glimmerveen, M. Merens and J. van Asperen. In order to save cost, the canal mostly followed existing waters. However, these all had to be made much deeper and wider.

Sections

The southern section stretched from the IJ to Purmerend. It was led by Engineer van Asperen. It included the construction of Willem I Lock on the IJ near Tolhuis, and a flood gate near Buiksloot. This was by far the most difficult section, due to the weak ground. Furthermore, the existing waterway had to be deepened, but was too important to be closed down for the operation. The weak ground made that in some places the slope of the shore had to be made even less than 22.5 degrees. Otherwise these shores would collapse, especially when there was no counter-pressure from the water.

This section was completely dug by widening and deepening existing waterways. At its southern end this section followed the Oude Vaart, which ran from the IJ to Purmerend. From the IJ to Buiksloot it was 10–20 m wide and 1.25–1.5 m deep at low tide in the IJ. There was no lock on its junction with the IJ. It therefore tended to quickly silt up with sediment brought in by the tide. The result was that at low tide it was too shallow for river vessels, while at high tide the towpath was flooded. There was a small lock in the sea dyke at Buiksloot, giving access to Waterland. The old lock was 25 m long, 3.45 m wide and 2 m deep in summer. It had a fixed bridge. Its demolition was ordered in 1823. Between Buiksloot and Purmerend the Oude Vaart was 16–18 m wide, and about 1.25–1.5 m deep in summer. Just east of Purmerland village, the Oude Vaart crossed the dyke Achterdichting. Here a lock bridged the water level difference between the Waterland and Purmerland basins. This small lock measured only 12.5 * 3 * 2 m. The Oude Vaart had a small lock of equal dimensions at Purmerend.

The central section stretched from Purmerend to the Zijpe Lock at 't Zand. This section was led by Engineer Merens and included the lock at Purmerend. In the southern part of this section, the stretch from Purmerend to Spijkerboor was just as troublesome as the stretch south of it.

This section made use of the canals which had been dug around the Beemster and Starnmeer lakes to drain them. These were 20–30 m wide and 1.52–1.9 m deep in summer. Another such canal that was used ran along the former Schermermeer lake. This canal was also called Alkmaarse Vaart, and was 45–48 m wide and about 1.5–1.75 m deep in summer. From Alkmaar to the Zijpe polder the Koedijkervaart was 18–20 m wide and 1.60 m deep in summer.

In the Zijpe polder the old ran from the Schoorlse Zeedijk at Zijpersluis to the Zuiderzee. It had the Jacob Claesse lock at Zijpersluis, and the at Oudesluis, connecting to the Zuiderzee. The first connection between Nieuwediep and Alkmaar was made by the construction of a small stretch of canal between the lock that was 1 km north of 't Zand, and the Keinsmer Trekvaart in 't Zand, which connected to the Groote Sloot. This small stretch was tendered on 7 May 1818, that is before the plans for the Noordhollands Kanaal were approved.

The Groote Sloot was not used for the final canal. Instead a new route was dug west of it, from the Schoorlse Zeedijk at Zijpersluis to the Zijpe lock just north of 't Zand. The hamlet of Zijpersluis has the ancient Jacob Claesse lock, which cuts off the Groote Sloot from the Noordhollandsch Kanaal. However, when the new route was dug, Zijpersluis got a flood gate which could be closed with beams, the so-called , or simply (passage), which was later removed.

The northern section stretched from the northern entrance of the Zijpe polder at 't Zand to Nieuwediep. It was directed by Engineer Glimmerveen and also included the new double lock at Nieuwediep. In this section preparatory works had already been executed in 1817 and 1818, including the construction of the dyke along the Koegras, and also the construction of a fan flood gate () at 't Zand, which was made into a regular lock during the later construction of the canal.

Riots In late May 1823 there was serious labor unrest at the canal construction site near Akersloot. On 28 May it came to a fight in which contractor Huiskes shot dead two laborers, and was subsequently killed himself. The laborers destroyed two construction trailers, some chain pumps, material and tools. To restore order, some infantry was sent from Alkmaar, while cavalry was sent from Haarlem.

Cost The total cost of the canal would be 11,000,000 guilders. Highlights were: the Willem I Lock for 465,000 guilders, Buiksloot Flood Gate for 252,000 guilders, the Purmerend Lock for 395,000 guilders, the Zijpe Lock for 183,000 guilders, and Koopvaarders Lock for 385,000 guilders.

Amsterdam paid 1,000,000 guilders towards the cost. Alkmaar and surroundings would contribute about 230,000 guilders. Purmerend made a small contribution.

Characteristics

Course The canal connected a number of existing waterways, including various canals and the small Rekere river.

Dimensions The original dimensions of the canal were smaller than they were later. Original designed width was 37.60 m at the top, and 10 m on the canal bed. Original depth was 5.70 m at summer level. The stretch Zijpe Lock – Nieuwediep was only 5.50 m deep at the same summer level.

Passage time