Even the coarsest dowlas, or sailcloth, was imported from the Low Countries.
The royal ships continued to be of very small burthen, and the mercantile ships were still smaller.

The Queen, however, did what she could to improve the number and burthen of our ships.

"Foreigners," says Camden, "stiled her the restorer of naval glory and Queen of the Northern Seas." In imitation of the Queen, opulent subjects built ships of force; and in course of time England no longer depended upon Hamburg, Dantzic, Genoa, and Venice, for her fleet in time of war.
Spain was then the most potent power in Europe, and the Netherlands, which formed part of the dominions of Spain, was the centre of commercial prosperity.

Holland possessed above 800 good ships, of from 200 to 700 tons burthen, and above 600 busses for fishing, of from 100 to 200 tons.

Amsterdam and Antwerp were in the heyday of their prosperity.