Old sources mention North Sea fishing activities around 1500 on the islands of Ameland and Vlieland. There are indications that around this time these activities were also undertaken from the mainland. In 1664 in his book “Beschrijvinge of Friesland”, Chr. Schotanus describes the life of fishermen and the existence of fishing vessels in the villages of Holwerd, Wierum and Paesens. In the 18th century Moddergat is also noted as a fishing village. The ships of Moddergat and Paesens formed together the “Paesemer” fleet. As the villages had no port the ships had to be moored on land.

 WL19 iin winter at Dokkum

“Aek” is the local name for a “Schokker” in the northeastern part of Friesland. Earlier de “Schokker” was just called Fish-vessel. The Aek has played an important role in the fishing history of this area, from the beginning of the 19th century well into the eighties; the Aek has been the corner stone of the Paesemer and Wierumer fleet. The Aek has a number of specific characteristics, such as two masts and straight prows.
Many measurements and dimensions for the reconstruction come from old descriptions. These specifications were found in the Fries Shipping Museum in Sneek.

Shortly after midnight on 5 March 1883 the complete coastal fishing fleet of Paesens and Moddergat put to sea. Twenty two Aeks and Blazers set course to the rich fishing grounds northeast of Borkum, the so-called “scholveld”. The fishermen had had a long winter without income behind them. The constant splendid spring weather and the rather good forecast seduced the fishermen to set sail after a long period of idleness. With the wind freshening from the northwest that 5th of March the nets were dragged over the fishing grounds for the whole day. In spite of the disappointing catch they continued into the evening against a background of a heavy black sky in the northwest. Shortly after ten o´clock at night the fishermen in their small, open, hardly seaworthy sailing ships, were caught within fifteen minutes by a northwesterly gale. Eyewitnesses ashore told later that large black clouds, full with hail and snow, were racing over the sea. The North Sea never changed so rapidly into such a swirling and furious monster, with waves whipped up to 20 meters high. The captains entered a pitch-black night. Their powerless struggle westwards trying to reach safe havens, through the narrows between the barrier islands of the Wadddenzee, must have been inconceivably difficult. Their hope on decreasing winds at sunrise evaporated. Wind increased in strength, at times reaching force 9 to 10. The first ship that fell prey to the raging elements was probably the 32 ton WL 7 “De twee gebroeders”, which capsized at 8 o'clock in the morning on Simonszand and disappeared in the ice-cold deep, the five crew perished. During the next hours the disaster struck at full force nearly claiming the whole fishing fleet of Paesens and Moddergat. In total 17 of the 22 ships were lost and 83 fishermen lost their lives. Some families had lost all their male members in one go.
One survivor of the disaster was 31 year old Gerben Basteleur, the oldest son of captain Gooitsens Jans Basteleur of the WL 2 “The Nooitgedacht”. His own narrative was noted down in 1899 .“Even now I do not understand, how it was possible that we were able to endure such an ordeal. I think that our customs made us to accept danger and to live with it. We said little to each other. But only thought. When would we disappear in the depth? Quietly we waited our turn”.
A calamity fund was set up to aid the people of Paesens and Moddergat but this was not sufficient, government support did not come either. The names of all the lost fishermen are commemorated on a sober monument, which was unveiled 75 years after the calamity on March 6th 1958 on top of the sea dike at Moddergat. In the museum “It Fiskershúske” at Moddergat a permanent exhibition was arranged to keep the memory of the disaster alive.