荷蘭統治臺灣時期，大員作為貿易的轉口站。然而，大員對於荷蘭人來說， 並非優良港口，其港灣淺、風向不順，船隻停泊困難，荷蘭人如何解決此困境？ 以往的研究是以建立貿易路線為主，本文則討論船隻在大員的運作狀況，分析巴 達維亞到大員的船隻種類及其功用，並探討荷蘭人在不同的季節，不同的時間， 大員的風向及港道有變遷時，如何因應這些變化。 本文的研究指出，澎湖做為大員的補助港功用僅限於西南季風期間，但此 期間常有暴風，停泊在大員港外相當危險。又東北季風期間，船隻主要停泊於大 員，澎湖做為補助港的功用不大。 至於到大員的船隻，以歸國海船、快艇、平底船，以及其他小型船為主。歸 國海船及快艇屬於武裝船隻，尤在局勢不靖，有戰爭風險時居多，平底船係單純 貨船，無法因應戰事，在局勢平穩的時候比較多。1635 年以後，到大員的船隻 以平底船為主。1650 年代國姓爺勢力興起，局勢不穩，到大員的船改以快艇居 多。另外，1650 年代大員港道明顯淤淺，荷蘭人則增派小型船隻以利轉運。

Despite Port Tayouan played a transferring role during the Dutch-ruled period, the depth or lack of its water channels and the direction of the seasonal winds, made it unsuitable for big ships to anchor in. How did the Dutch solve these problems? This article shows that the Dutch took the Makung Bay at the Pescadores as an out-port haven during the southern monsoon period because of summer storms. During eastern monsoon period, however their ships and boats were mostly moored at the Tayouan bay because of lesser storms. Adapting to the demand of the weather and the change of the situation inhaven channels, the Dutch sent to Port Tayuoan different kinds of ships such as retourships, yachts, fluids, and other small ships. The first two kinds of ships were equipped with heavy weapon especially the yachts designed as warships, and were sent to Port Tayouan when the situation was not smooth. The fluids were designed as cargo ships and were unsuited for military actions. They were sent to Port Tayouan when the situation became more peaceful. At a time when the entry depth of the port channels were silted up and unsuited for big ships to sail into, they sent in smaller boats instead in order to keep the cargo transferring going.