Few names in the ship modeling world carry the weight of respect that Ab Hoving does. For decades, he has been at the center of Dutch maritime history—building, researching, teaching, and preserving models that connect us to a golden age of seafaring. In a recent conversation with Ships in Scale, Ab and his son Emiel reflected on a remarkable journey that spans classrooms, museums, workshops, and even the digital realm.
A Teacher’s Path to Modeling
Ab’s career began not in a museum, but in a classroom. Trained as a schoolteacher, he spent 20 years teaching everything from woodworking to art history. Modeling was always present in the background. Growing up in post–World War II Holland, he had little access to toys, so he learned to improvise. Planes, ships, and anything that could be constructed captured his imagination.
As his teaching career developed, he rediscovered ship modeling. Dutch vessels in particular fascinated him—yet he was struck by the lack of resources available to study them. “There were no kits, no books, nothing,” he recalled. That gap became his opportunity. By studying 17th-century Dutch texts on shipbuilding—dense works written in archaic language—he pieced together forgotten methods. He literally cut the texts into thousands of fragments and reassembled them like a puzzle until the shipwrights’ intentions came into focus.
The Rijksmuseum Years
That research earned Ab a surprising invitation. After presenting his findings at a symposium in Amsterdam, he was tapped on the shoulder by a curator and offered a position at the Rijksmuseum. He began there in 1989, responsible for the museum’s extensive but neglected ship model collection.
Working in the attic under harsh conditions—sweltering in summer, freezing in winter—he began restoring priceless models. Every piece was different, every repair a unique challenge. Among his most memorable tasks was re-rigging the massive 17th-century model William Rex, a four-and-a-half-meter masterpiece. His work not only preserved these models but elevated the study of Dutch shipbuilding in ways few had attempted before.
Beyond the museum walls, Ab contributed to full-scale reconstruction projects, collaborating with shipwrights to test historical methods in practice. For him, the process was always about discovery: how did craftsmen centuries ago manage to build seaworthy vessels with the tools and knowledge at hand?
Innovation Through Technology
Ab’s curiosity didn’t stop with wood and rope. Inspired by flight simulators, he wondered if ships could also be experienced virtually. This led to the ambitious “Witsen Shipbuilding Project,” a fully digital 17th-century vessel based on contemporary sources. Built piece by piece with the help of a collaborator using Delftship software, the model took nearly four years to complete. Today, it can be explored online as an immersive research tool—archaeologists and modelers alike use it to better understand historical construction.
Even in retirement, Ab continues building, though these days he favors paper over wood. His current projects, such as a dockyard model made of tiny cardboard frames, are as much about capturing the appearance of history as the construction methods. Age, he admits with humor, has made rigging more difficult, but it hasn’t dulled his passion.
Emiel’s Contribution: Design and Digital Artistry
While Ab mastered the craft of historical modeling, his son Emiel pursued a different path. A trained graphic designer, Emiel has never built a ship model himself—but his creative skills have become essential to many of Ab’s publications.
Through photography, digital compositing, and design, Emiel brings models to life in print and on screen. He refines images by adding skies, adjusting lighting, or placing models in historically accurate settings. What began as experiments in train layout photography evolved into a new way of presenting ship models—making them not just accurate, but visually compelling and narrative-driven.
Their collaboration is evident in recent SeaWatch titles, where Emiel’s layouts and images complement Ab’s scholarship. Together, they bridge traditional craftsmanship with modern presentation.
On the Future of the Hobby
Asked about the future of ship modeling, Ab is realistic. “It’s a niche,” he said, “and not many people are involved.” While online forums suggest a bustling community, he notes that serious scratch building remains rare. Younger generations, he observes, face endless distractions—from the internet to gaming—that compete for time once spent on hands-on crafts.
Still, he believes that inspiration matters. If a handful of new builders are drawn into the hobby by seeing high-quality work, the tradition will endure. For his part, Emiel sees evidence of continued enthusiasm. At model train exhibitions in the Netherlands, he notes, crowds of all ages still gather. The appetite for modeling remains; it may simply take new forms.
When asked what advice he would give someone ready to move from kits to scratch building, with a gleam in his eye, Ab answered simply: “Buy my book.” Ever the teacher, he has spent years distilling his methods into clear, practical guidance—passing on knowledge to anyone ready to take the plunge.
A Legacy Still Unfolding
From the postwar classrooms of the Netherlands to the storerooms of the Rijksmuseum, from full-sized replicas to digital reconstructions, Ab Hoving has followed a singular path. His work blends history, craftsmanship, and education, ensuring that Dutch maritime heritage remains accessible to scholars, modelers, and the curious public alike. With Emiel at his side, interpreting that work for modern audiences, the Hoving legacy continues to inspire.
For those who want to hear the full conversation—including stories of fiery experiments, restoration challenges, and more insights into Dutch shipbuilding—you can listen to the complete interview with Ab and Emiel Hoving on the SeaWatch Books podcast.