Vergulde Draeck

[3] On the night of the 28 April 1656, Vergulde Draeck struck a submerged coral reef midway between what are now the coastal towns of Seabird and Ledge Point, Western Australia.

[4][5] On 7 May 1656, approximately nine days after the loss of Vergulde Draeck, the under steersman and six crew members were dispatched to Batavia to summon help.

[citation needed] After a journey of some 1,400 nautical miles (2,600 km; 1,600 mi), lasting 41 days, with little water, little food and suffering from exposure, the under steersman and six crew arrived at Batavia.

On 23 April 1657, Vinck in the process of setting sail from the Cape of Good Hope was instructed to search for the survivors on its passage to Batavia.

On 26 February 1658, a shore party from Waeckende Boey returning from the coast recorded the discovery of wreckage believed to be of Vergulde Draeck.

Leeman eventually made it back to Batavia, his diary in the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam recounts his experience.

Upon returning, the shore party reported having seen three Aboriginal persons of tall stature who attempted to communicate with them using basic hand signals.

[4][5][7] The wreck of Vergulde Draeck was eventually discovered on 14 April 1963 south of Ledge Point, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of Perth.

This technology was a Dutch innovation which greatly reduced the cost of construction of ships and helped make them the leading shipbuilders in northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.

[10]: 36, 297–329 In March 2015, Steve Caffery, of Gilt Dragon Research Group, claimed to have discovered copies of two letters carried by the seven survivors to Batavia in 1656.