Model of a ship camel
The shallow waters around the Pampus sandbank off Amsterdam formed an obstacle for larger ships. To prevent them running aground, tanks filled with water were attached to their sides. Pumping the water out of these ‘ship camels’ raised the vessels, allowing them to be towed over the shallows. One side of this model has been curved to fit against the ship’s hull. The planking has been omitted to reveal its internal structure.