Design Brief & Intent 2
The core mission of the Waarschip 900 was to deliver a competitive racing platform that did not sacrifice family cruising comfort. In the early 1980s, the design stood in stark contrast to contemporary fiberglass cruisers from French builders like Beneteau or Jeanneau, which prioritized maximum interior volume. Instead, designer Klaas Kremer focused on a narrow, easily driven hull form with a low-profile coachroof and clean, functional deck spaces. This low structure was not only pleasing to the eye but highly practical, ensuring the helmsman and crew maintained an unobstructed view of the sails and oncoming seas.
Inside, the yacht avoided the cavernous but sterile feel of early GRP boats. The interior of the Waarschip 900 is characterized by rich, warm varnished mahogany and high-grade Bruynzeel marine plywood. The layout is optimized to feel snug yet functional, offering a generous galley to port, a versatile nav station to starboard with an adjustable chart table, and up to five to seven berths, depending on the configuration. In the 900+ version, Kremer cleverly redesigned the coachroof to provide a full 1.90 meters of headroom throughout the cabin, including the marine head, without disrupting the boat's elegant, low-profile exterior lines.
Variations & Configurations
Throughout its production run, the Waarschip 900 was offered in several configurations to suit different sailing environments. The most notable distinction lies between the original 900 and the subsequent 900+ (or Plus) model. While both shared the same easily driven hull design, the 900+ optimized the interior headroom and layout to enhance long-distance family cruising. Rigging was typically a masthead sloop, though fractional rigs were also employed by racing enthusiasts looking to maximize sail control in competitive fleets.
Draft options were dictated by local European waters, offering a standard deep-draft fin keel of 1.50 meters (4.92 feet) for offshore stability and high-pointing ability, alongside a shoal-draft option of 1.25 meters (4.10 feet), which opened up the shallow, tidal mudflats of the Wadden Sea and inland Dutch lakes. Crucially, because Waarschips were historically offered in various stages of completion—ranging from raw factory-built hulls to complete do-it-yourself kits—individual boats on the market today feature a wide variety of owner-customized interior woodwork, layout tweaks, and mechanical installations 1.
Sailing Performance & Handling
Under sail, the Waarschip 900/900+ is a revelation, especially for those accustomed to the slower, more ponderous motion of standard cruising yachts. With a displacement of just 6,614 pounds, the boat is light and exceptionally easily driven. The hull shape is reflected in its moderate displacement-to-length ratio of 190.57, allowing it to glide through light airs with ease and quickly transition into exhilarating surfing sessions off the wind. Its sailing potency is further elevated by an impressive sail area-to-displacement ratio of 24.92, which translates to immediate acceleration in the lightest puffs.
Rather than being tender, however, the boat features an extraordinary ballast-to-displacement ratio of 50.0 percent, with a 3,307-pound cast-iron fin keel providing a deeply set center of gravity. This massive ballast reserve makes the Waarschip exceptionally stiff and capable of standing up to its powerful rig even in heavy coastal blows. At the helm, the balanced spade rudder delivers a highly responsive, dinghy-like feel, allowing the helmsman to steer with two fingers.
In a seaway, the boat's motion is lively, as indicated by its comfort ratio of 15.8. While its quick, active motion lacks the heavy-mass dampening of a pure bluewater tank, the hull is masterfully engineered to slice through chop without slamming. A capsize screening ratio of 2.31 indicates a wide-beamed, light configuration relative to its size, yet the immense secondary stability afforded by its high ballast ratio makes it a safe, reassuring offshore performer.
Market Snapshot & Economics
On the brokerage market, the Waarschip 900 represents one of the most intriguing value propositions in sailing, though it is one that requires a specialized buyer. Because the hull is constructed of wood-epoxy, these yachts do not command the same broad market appeal as turn-key fiberglass boats, and they frequently trade at a substantial value discount. For a buyer who appreciates fine wooden craftsmanship and elite sailing performance, this lower entry cost is highly attractive.
However, this initial saving is offset by the necessity of a rigorous maintenance regime. Owners must be prepared to commit time or capital to preserving the integrity of the paint and varnish coatings that protect the underlying wood. The market for these boats is highly concentrated in Northern Europe, particularly in the Netherlands and Germany, where the Waarschip name is legendary. Pristine, yard-built examples that have been continuously garage-kept or professionally maintained will command a premium, while older amateur-built projects require careful structural vetting to ensure the economics of a refit remain viable.
Known Issues & Triage
The primary adversary of any plywood-epoxy yacht is freshwater intrusion, and the Waarschip 900 has several well-documented areas that require diligent triage. Plywood laminates, such as the premium Bruynzeel mahogany plywood used in construction, are incredibly strong and stable, but if water penetrates the outer paint or epoxy envelope, rot can spread quickly. Common failure points include the deck-to-hull joint, cabin trunk corners, and around portlights. Water leaking through these seals can cause localized delamination of the plywood deck or cabin sides.
Another critical area of concern is the keel-to-hull joint. If the boat has suffered a hard grounding, the impact can fracture the epoxy seal around the keelson and laminate floors. This allows water to seep into the structural keel grid and the plywood surrounding the keel bolts. Triage requires hauled-out inspection, moisture-meter scanning of the bottom panels, and if damage is found, cutting away the compromised timber back to sound wood before scarfing in new marine-grade plywood and laminating with epoxy resin.
Additionally, many Waarschips were fitted with teak decks. If the teak is screwed rather than vacuum-glued, every screw hole represents a potential path for moisture to rot the underlying sub-deck, requiring a highly labor-intensive deck replacement or a complete removal of the teak in favor of a clean, glassed-and-painted deck.
Modernization & Upgrades
Veteran owners of the Waarschip 900 have embraced several modern upgrade pathways to ensure these classic wooden racers remain competitive and easy to manage. The most significant structural upgrade involves a complete exterior strip-down and epoxy encapsulation. By sanding the hull back to bare wood and applying several layers of modern marine epoxy and fiberglass cloth, owners can permanently seal the hull, virtually eliminating the threat of rot and dramatically reducing annual maintenance demands to that of a standard GRP boat.
Mechanically, the original single- or twin-cylinder diesel engines are frequently replaced with lightweight, smooth-running modern marine diesels. Because the hull is light and easily driven, electric propulsion conversions are also gaining traction among canal and lake sailors, who pair compact electric pod drives with modern lithium-iron-phosphate battery banks to create silent, zero-emission cruisers. Rig and sail plan modernizations are also common, with owners installing folding propellers to reduce drag, updating to modern roller-furling head sails to make short-handed sailing safer, and utilizing high-aspect jibs to enhance the boat's already formidable upwind performance.
The Verdict
The Waarschip 900/900+ is a masterful blending of classic Dutch wooden craftsmanship and spirited sailing performance. It is designed for the true sailor who prioritizes feedback at the helm, exceptional upwind performance, and the unique warmth of a beautifully joined mahogany cabin. However, the boat demands a high level of responsibility; it is not a "set-and-forget" fiberglass tub, and it rewards hands-on owners who are willing to maintain its protective coatings diligently. If you are willing to embrace the maintenance requirements of wood-epoxy, it represents one of the most rewarding, stiff, and fast cruiser-racers of its era.
Pros
- Exceptional stiffness and stability due to the massive fifty-percent ballast-to-displacement ratio.
- Highly responsive, dinghy-like handling and superb upwind performance.
- Excellent light-air acceleration and high top-end sailing speed.
- Warm, traditional mahogany and teak interior cabin joinery.
- Sleek, low-profile aesthetics that turn heads in any harbor.
- Highly accessible entry-level pricing on the brokerage market.
Cons
- High maintenance requirements compared to fiberglass yachts, requiring regular varnishing and paint maintenance.
- Variable build quality on the secondhand market due to many boats being sold as self-build kits 1.
- High vulnerability to freshwater rot if the protective epoxy and paint envelope is breached.
- Active, lively motion in a seaway that can be fatiguing on long offshore passages.
- Limited broad market appeal, which can make resale a lengthy process.
