Nov 20, 2021
Historic ship Ortelius means turning point for Doel
Last night, the historic ship Ortelius was brought to Doel via special transport. This morning it was hoisted by two gigantic cranes to its (provisional) final location in the Camermanstraat, in the center of Doel, near Atelier De Nijs. The ship will be restored there in the coming years by the non-profit organization ‘de Maakschappij’. For Doel 2020, this action – which took a lot of effort – is unmistakably a landmark. It illustrates that there is no doubt anymore about a new future for Doel. And that a lot is possible in this historic village.
Historical
The historic ship Ortelius dates from 1898. It was an old freighter and then served as a school ship for primary school children in Antwerp. It has been out of service for about 20 years. This piece of sailing heritage has been for sale since 2019 and in the spring of 2020, the Municipal Executive of Antwerp approved the sale to the non-profit organization De Maakschappij in Doel. Because it concerns sailing heritage, strict conditions were attached to the sale. Pieter Ghysels, associated with the non-profit organization de Maakschappij and Atelier De Nijs in Doel, was able to meet these conditions.
Resistance
When the non-profit organization asked for the (temporary) disposal of a vacant lot in Doel for the restoration of the ship, this initially met with considerable resistance from various authorities. It was said that they “did not want to set precedents”. They also referred to the future study for Doel, which… was suspended. In January of 2021, ‘De Maakschappij’ and Doel 2020 denounced the persistent obstruction. At the end of February, De Maakschappij informed the minister that the ship would come to Doel in any case. If necessary, it would be restored on the quay itself.
Minister Diependaele
At the beginning of March 2021, the green light finally came. This was communicated directly to both De Maakschappij and the Doel 2020. Since then, the tone of the project has changed and all those involved (municipal council – Diependaele cabinet – MLSO) have collaborated to find a constructive solution. As a result, this historic ship arrived in Doel last night and got a (provisional) place in the village this morning. The placement had to take place in the presence of the Minister of Heritage, Matthias Diependaele (N-VA), but he had to cancel due to quarantine. His cabinet employees were present. Just like MLSO chairman Boudewijn Vlegels, a representative of the municipality of Beveren, residents of Doel and sympathizers.
Private initiatives
Doel 2020 is pleased that the various authorities involved have finally listened to the arguments of De Maakschappij. For the action committee, this project shows what private initiatives can achieve if they can count on a minimum of cooperation and goodwill from the authorities involved. It also shows how initiatives in the village can have an added value for the wider region in the future. Doel 2020 hopes that the turnaround has really started. The residents’ association insists that the Flemish government, the MLSO and the municipality of Beveren give their full support to future private initiatives that can add value to the historic village. If anything has been proven today, it is that a lot, a lot, is possible in this village.
