The 1799 the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland led to the capture of the base at Nieuwediep and the surrender of the cornered Dutch fleet in the Vlieter incident.

The new navy base would be east of Den Helder, on the west side of the Nieuwediep, north of the Nieuwe Werk.

The wet dock provided safe anchorage, but its prime benefit was that ships stayed at the same height to the quays.

Meanwhile, the problematic supply of good Scandinavian oak, and the practice of copper sheathing ships, had increased the demand for frequent below water maintenance.

He was assisted by the engineers Glimmerveen, Van Asperen and Wellenberg, and the later chief-engineer A. Greve, as well as the contractors Den Stok and Verschuur.

In spite of this, pile driving succeeded, and with enormous difficulties, connecting beams were attached to form the floor.

In April 1817 6,124 cubic feet of Petit Granit from Écaussinnes (blue stone) was ordered for the dry dock and the sea lock combined.

[2] In September 1819 and October 1820 it was noted that foundation planks and brickwork at the lower levels of the dock had been pushed upwards.

[6] In July 1822 the dock was dry, and 23 feet below high tide workers were making the blocks and other facilities to receive ships.

In April 1817 the rest of the pump building, and foundation for, and completion of brick sewers towards the still to be made dry dock was tendered.

On 13 July 1822 the ship of the line Willem I (formerly Couronne) of 74 guns was successfully placed in the dry dock.

Authorities were very pleased that they had now proven that the foundation could withstand the weight concentrated in the keel, and did not rift and become leaky because of pressures like had happened in France and in England in such situations.

The power of the water was so strong that, while Willem I was in the dock, the floor was lifted 8 cm, proving that her weight did not make any difference.

It the proposed to fix the problem by laying 26 oak beams of 52 and 63 cm diameter on the floor of the dock, perpendicular to its length.

In September 1848 the frigates HNLMS Prins van Oranje (60) and Sambre (44) were serviced in 5 days, with their full armament on board.

[17] After the dock had become unserviceable, the naval minister requested to increase the 1849 navy budget by 20,000 guilders, so the problem could be investigated.

Meanwhile, the commission proposed to experiment with lengthening the screens near the Dry Dock I's ship caisson lock.

[21] The budget for 1857 then got a post of 25,000 guilders for making a dam and pumping the water out of the dry dock in order to investigate the situation.

The final conclusion was that the condition of the dock had been caused by the carelessly made and loose foundations, and the mandatory use of Amsterdam Artificial Mortar.

[24] To its 23 February 1858 report the commission also attached a preliminary design for rebuilding the dock on the existing foundations.

The House of Representatives, which had been very adverse to spending more money on Dry Dock I, was now convinced, and voted 116,000 guilders for the first year.

[19] On 14 March 1859 the rebuild of Willemsoord Dry Dock I was tendered, and subsequently awarded to the lowest bidder.

3 Figuur 3 Dwarsdoorsnede, at 0.22) This contained eye bolts that kept the wooden blocks from floating upwards when the dock was filled.

[25] In the night of 4–5 August 1860 the dam near the land side lock (Keersluis, see 1838 map) of the wet dock was broken.

More speed would not have mattered anyway, because the deepening of the wet dock, and the removal of the dam for the Keersluis, were not ready before Spring 1861.

It was said, that of the then existing types of ships, the heaviest, i.e. the frigates with auxiliary power: Wassenaar, Evertsen and Zeeland, could use the dock after unloading everything but the boilers and engines.

[29] Apart from the problems with the balance gates, there was also leakage on the keel and sides of the caisson, where the door met the walls of the lock.

[30] The dry dock received Wassenaar for the first time with only her boilers and engines in place, and a draft of only 4.57 m. This might have been the designed capability of the drydock with regard to steam frigates.

The depth below regular high tide was 7.22 m. Width in the center was 26.37 m. The length of the area where ships could be placed on the blocks (zetting) was 67.50 m. There was also a long slope of 46.15 m on the land side of the dock.

It fits the ambition to turn Willemsoord into a Maritime attraction park and new city center for Den Helder.