Alkmaar Packet

Alkmaar Packet was a shipping company that operated scheduled passenger and freight services in the northern part of the Netherlands between 1864 and 1950. The services the company provided were a kind of beurtvaart, which at the time had become a forerunner of modern public transport. At its height Alkmaar Packet owned more than 20 ships.

In 1864 Cornelis Bosman (1830-1911) established the company as a limited partnership and it was located in Alkmaar in the Dutch province of North Holland. Operations started 1 July 1864, with the steamer Alkmaar Packet 1 sailing over the Noordhollandsch Kanaal between Alkmaar and Zaandam. Inbetween the ship stopped at Akersloot, Markenbinnen, Oostknollendam, Wormerveer and Koog aan de Zaan. Passengers travelling onwards to Amsterdam had to change ship in Zaandam as the Alkmaar Packet 1 was not seaworthy and the IJ was connected to the still open Zuiderzee. Later ships could sail on to the capital, making a trip from Alkmaar to Amsterdam in just under three hours.

Alkmaar Packet did well, and soon expanded its services with more ships and extra departures on the main route. It introduced new lines, like Zaandam - Haarlem and Zwolle - Kampen - Amsterdam. In 1882 it was granted the license for the ferry connecting the island of Texel with the mainland. In 1886 it was chosen to operate the ferry between the cities (and railway stations) of Enkhuizen and Stavoren, which it continued to do until 1938.

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