Scheveningen is a small fishing village near The Hague that was popular with artists as it was seen as unspoiled. At the time, Scheveningen had no harbour, and the local fishing boats were built with flat undersides (‘bomschuiten’) so that they could be dragged onto the sand and secured. The lack of harbour caused controversy among the locals, as a series of bad storms in 1860 and 1881 had devastated parts of the town and its fishing fleet. Many residents believed a harbour would have provided a measure of protection. Following another storm in 1894, the villagers finally agreed on the construction a modern harbour, which was completed in 1904. In this painting, Maris shows the ‘bomschuiten’ bouncing on the turbulent sea, while a small figure on the shore line battles against the wind.