My first seaman's book was issued to me when I was 16 years old. I started as a deckhand making 90 guilders (40 Euro's) and 50 guilders (23 Euro's) overtime a month. This overtime was earned the hard way, as I made at least 4 hours extra a day, closing wooden hatches, pulling steel beams, standing nautical watch at night. I ate as much as I could, so I had the feeling that I could make double the wages that way.
At 17 years old I became an O/S (ordinary sailor) and gained a wage increase of a 100%, how proud I was. The captain owned the vessel I sailed on, and was about to be bankrupted. I remember once that we had to share 2 whole chickens between 14 persons. I was entitled to the lower part of the chickenleg. Now I had better wages, but less food. The captain, however, was a fine person and so was his daughter. When she was on board, he watched her closely, so no sailor would try whatever was on his mind.
Ships I have sailed on as a rating:
Vessel, Managers, Position, Year
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Hoop, Carebeka, deckhand, 1966
Gazelle, Gruno, O/S, 1967
Hinde, Wijnne & Barends, O/S, 1967 - 1968
Carmen, Wijnne & Barends, A/B, 1968
Juno, Wijnne & Barends, A/B, 1969
Viola, Wijnne & Barends, A/B, 1969
Claudia, Wijnne & Barends, A/B, 1969
Deo Gloria, Wijnne & Barends, A/B, 1970
