Willem Ysbrandtszoon Bontekoe (1587鈥?657) was born in Hoorn in Holland. In 1607; at the age of 20; Bontekoe succeeded his father as captain of the ship Bontekoe. In 1617; the ship was seized by Barbary pirates and Bontekoe ended up at a slave market. He was bought free; but his ship was lost. He became a skipper for the Dutch East India Company (VOC); and made just one eventful voyage for the company (1618-25).

After a pleasant nine-day stay on Ile Sainte-Marie near Madagascar; things went badly wrong. A fire; caused by a shipmate accidentally setting fire to a cask of brandy; caused the gunpowder magazine to explode and sink the ship. Of the 119 still on the ship only two survived; including Bontekoe; but he was wounded. There were 70 in two lifeboats; so 72 survived. Sails were made from the shirts of the crew. They were shipwrecked at sea; some drank seawater or urine. Bontekoe did the latter until it became too concentrated. Sometimes there was relief by catching birds and flying fish; and by drinking rainwater. The hunger became so severe again that the crew decided to soon kill the cabin boys. Bontekoe writes that he was against that; so they agreed to wait three more days. Just in time; 13 days after the shipwreck; they reached land where they could eat coconuts. It was an island in the Sunda Strait; 15 miles off Sumatra.

Bontekoe became widely known for a journal of his adventures that was published in 1646 under the delightful title; 鈥楯ournal or Memorable Description of the East Indian Voyage of Willem Bontekoe from Hoorn; Including Many Remarkable and Dangerous Things that Happened to Him There'.