Reinier Noom’s signature, meaning “Seaman,” and the navigation books listed in his widow’s inventory indicate his firsthand knowledge of the sea. In this painting, Nooms depicted the ships so accurately that they can be identified as the De Zon and the Wulpenburg. The well-armed ship at the right displays the Amsterdam admiralty flag as well as the Dutch flag. River channels in Amsterdam were not deep enough for heavily laden ships to dock; the vessels here sit high in the water because their cargo has already been unloaded. Others ships rest on their sides, being cleaned and retarred.