Sail 2025 Amsterdam: Tall Ships Rigging, Figureheads and Anchors

Sail 2025 arrived with the Amsterdam 750 celebrations.

During Amsterdam 750, the harbor became a stage for tall ships.
Light shifted between soft overcast and warm sun, which helped separate wood grain, rope fiber, and polished metal.
The Harlingen bow carries a swan figurehead that leans forward over a low sea, neck arched and wings tucked.
A band of red triangles runs the sheer and acts like a ruler that measures the hull for the viewer.
Focus sits on the carving so feather grooves and chisel marks remain legible while the sky drops to a clean plane.
A medium aperture holds the nameplate and the window trim, which places the ship in a specific port and culture.
Figureheads gave identity and luck, and here they still give direction by pointing where the vessel intends to go.
The hull forms a wedge from left to right, and the color bands work like rails that guide the eye along that path.
These frames were made with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II to record function, craft, and the traces of daily labor.

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Frame one begins at the davits on Christian Radich where the tender rests above the rail, ready for shore work.
Crossing lines stitch the scene into a lattice that pulls the eye toward the bow and the fenders along the keel.
Overcast light flattens glare and reveals the curves of the hull and the soft sheen of varnished blocks.
I worked just below the boat to lift it against sky and to clean the background of flags and busy crowd shapes.
A short shutter held the tender steady against a light harbor breeze that swayed loose hooks and tag lines.
The picture reads as order because every shackle and knot sits where it earns its place on a working ship.
This is a study of readiness and routine, not ceremony, which suits the quiet tone of the harbor morning.

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The second frame moves forward to the bowsprit where netting, seized knots, and a small block manage the pull of the rig.
One rope is locked off on its fitting, a simple action that keeps motion under control while the ship rests at the quay.
Shallow depth keeps attention on the tied section while the pier fades into soft lines and reflections behind it.
I set focus on the crossing fibers so the pattern shows how the net spreads load rather than sagging at one point.
The diagonal spar and the fine mesh build a clean rhythm, and the single bright pulley gives the eye an anchor point.
This is the language of safety and routine, recorded before crowds press in and before the light turns harsh.

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Next is a run of deadeyes and lanyards where standing rigging holds the mast in trim against wind and sea.
Repetition builds tempo across the frame as each set of lines tightens, crosses, and resolves into the next pair.
I kept the city waterfront soft so the black and white blocks stand out and the rope fibers stay crisp and readable.
The slight change in angle between units shows how tension is tuned by hand rather than by a single fixed part.
This view explains the ship as a system of equal and opposite forces, not just a sculpture of wood and paint.
It is also a portrait of crew work, because the neat turns and the even spacing speak to practice and care.

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The closing frame returns to pure function with a curved anchor held just clear of the water by a short lashing.
Wear along the shank shows where chain rubs during recoveries, and the flukes shine where metal meets metal in service.
The bow sits in shade, so the anchor outlines clean against ripples that mirror nearby hulls in blue and red.
I centered the arc to make a simple graphic and let the background dissolve into layered reflections and soft edges.
The exposure protects the steel, which gives the tool real weight on the page and keeps the water calm and luminous.
For more city events and field assignments, visit the Events Documentary Photography category page, and browse related maritime sets in the Miscellaneous gallery.

Amir
Photographer, Builder, Dreamer
amir2000.nl