A variety of shipping is shown off the Dutch coast. Land can be seen on the far left and in the foreground a number of figures on a wooden jetty look out to sea. A small boat is leaving the shore with a man sitting in the bows with his legs over the side of the boat. Another is rowing and a third stands up gesturing towards another boat from the stern. In the left distance, a sprit-rigged ferry-boat is shown in port-quarter view flying the Dutch flag, and a large man-of-war is approaching directly behind it. In the centre the focal point of the painting is a small Dutch man-of-war shown before the wind. She is in starboard-broadside view and is flying the Double Prince ensign associated with the Admiralty of Amsterdam. She is towing a small boat and there are a number of figures on deck and in the rigging. In front of the ship is a ship's boat heavily laden with people, with one figure standing in the stern. In the foreground to the right is a boeier-rigged yacht, in starboard-broadside view with several figures on board. Other shipping is visible on the horizon.

Born in Sneek, the artist is believed to have worked at Delft in the second quarter of the 17th century, in the Dutch realist tradition. The painting is signed 'J.Vries'.