A kaag is shown in the foreground with one man wearing a hat positioned in the bow and three figures in the stern. One of them, a woman, leans with her elbow over the side of the boat. The leeboard is clearly visible and the boat is shown towing a smaller craft from the stern. The kaag flies a small flag from the foremast and this may incorporate the motif of the province of Hoorn, where Rietschoof lived. A kaag was a type of cargo vessel designed for use on inland waterways. It was often used as a ferry in the Zuyder Zee, conveying cargo to and from seagoing ships. The kaag is shown close to the shore on the far right, where four figures and a baby wait on the shoreline, buffeted by the wind. Behind them several buildings, including a church and windmill indicate the shore, and the church is bathed in bright light from the sun shining though the clouds. In the distance on the far left, the skyline of a town on the opposite shore is also picked out by bright light. A merchant ship flying the Dutch flag is positioned on the left, with a carved stern. The painter has placed his monogram 'HR' on the spar floating in the foreground on the left.

Born in Hoorn, Hendrik Rietschoof was the pupil and follower of his father Jan Claesz Rietschoof.