A Dutch shoreline with one boat hauled out of the waves. Another which is preparing to land is blown rapidly along the waves by the wind. The figure standing to the right in the foreground, with his back to the viewer, appears to be scanning the horizon using his left arm. With his right hand on his stick, he looks out to sea, and is probably a gentleman merchant anxiously awaiting the safe return home of his merchant ships laden with goods. He stands raised on a dune and another figure on the beach to the left looks up at him, gesticulating towards the boats. A gentlewoman, perhaps the merchant's wife, rests on the edge of the dune. Nets are spread out to the left. There are rollers on the beach to help with hauling the boats out of the water.

The artist was initially a calligrapher in his native Germany before moving to Amsterdam. There, he was inspired by the grisaille drawings of van de Velde the Elder. Later, he was introduced to marine painting in oils in the studios of van Everdingen and Dubbels. He was a contemporary of van de Velde the Younger, and shared with him a concern for painting ships with accuracy and understanding.