Built about 1595 in the Netherlands. A fast, lightly-armed ship probably intended for small valuable cargoes or privateering.

1601 Selected as the jacht, or scout, for the "Moluccan Fleet" sailing to the Spice Islands.

Duyfken's captain for this voyage, Willem Cornelisz Schouten, with Le Maire, would later discover and name Cape Horn after the city of Hoorn.

On Christmas day the five ships of the Moluccan Fleet reach Bantam (Banten), Java and encounter a blockading fleet of Portuguese ships totalling eight galleons and twenty-two galleys. They engage this fleet in intermittent battle until driving them away on New Years day. This is a turning point in history: the undisputed dominance of the Iberians in the Spice Trade to Europe is over.

1602 Warm welcome in Bantam, repair to battle damage. Survey of Jakarta Bay, where the Dutch would later build Batavia their capital in the Indies, then sailing by way of Tuban, East Java to the Spice Island of Ternate.

Loaded cloves at Ternate then to Banda for a cargo of nutmeg. Sent on a voyage of exploration to the east.

The newly-formed United Dutch East India Company (VOC) was granted a monopoly on trade to the Spice Islands by the government of the united Netherlands.

On the voyage home from the Indies Duyfken was separated from the larger ships in a storm off Cape Angulhas. Duyfken reached the Netherlands two months ahead of the larger ships early in 1603.

1603 In December Duyfken set out on a second voyage to the Indies in the VOC fleet of Steven van der Haghen and with Willem Janszoon as skipper.

1604 The VOC fleet captures two Portuguese ships in Mozambique Channel and sails to the Spice Islands via India finally reaching Bantam, Java on New Years Eve.

1605 Duyfken is in the fleet that recaptures the fort of Van Verre at Ambon from the Portuguese. Later in the year she is selected for another voyage of discovery to the east, but first she is sent to Bantam Java for urgently needed provisions.

1606 Early in 1606 Willem Janszoon and Jan Roosengijn take Duyfken southeast from Banda to the Kei Islands, then along the south coast of New Guinea, skirting south of the shallow waters around False Cape and then continuing east-southeast until they reach and chart the shores of Australia's Cape York Peninsula.

1607 Duyfken may have made a second voyage east to Australia. Later in the year she is sent to Java to get supplies for the beleaguered Dutch fortress on Ternate.

1608 Engaged in a five hour battle with three Spanish galleys. In June Duyfken was sent with larger ships to capture the fortress of Taffaso on Makian Island. A month later she was brought in through the stockade at Ternate for repairs. It seems that she was hauled on her side to repair the bottom but this caused further damage and she was condemned as unrepairable, and was left to the probable ignominy of being used as construction timber and even firewood.