Day of the seafarer: Roderick Kamphuizen

Roderick joined Vertom in December 2016, after hearing positive stories from two of his former colleagues (he previously worked at Feederlines and Rolldock). According to Roderick, the stories were true. “There is an informal atmosphere that fosters good collaboration between the office and the crew on board. We are well taken care of. If we need supplies or assistance, it is provided. This makes our job much easier. And the growth Vertom is experiencing also provides job security, with an exciting future outlook.”

There is no shortage of special experiences on board: the best experiences? “Sailing in the middle of the humpback whale migration route off Western Australia. They were breaching left and right. We also once had a military welcome in Vietnam, where all the high-ranking generals wanted photos with us, the giant Europeans. We’ve also helped a sailboat in distress in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea during bad weather.
“The best part, of course, is my family at home. No ship can compare to that. When people ask if I find it hard to be away from them for so long, I always turn it around. I actually get many months of vacation each year. That extended period at home with my wife and three sons is something you don’t often find in other professions.”

“Sailing does come with its challenges,” Roderick explains. “Working with four different nationalities in a small, close-knit environment remains challenging. However, this rarely poses a problem. Many changes have been implemented over the years. Fortunately, a lot has been improved and adjusted in terms of safety to prevent dangerous situations. On the other hand, ports are more often closed to crew members, and cities are farther from the ports. Working through the night and handling the extensive paperwork involved in sailing is not always pleasant, especially in bad weather. But you encounter these issues in every company. At Vertom, I see that they always help whenever possible, which is not something you find everywhere.”

We are continuously looking for seafarers to join our ships. Click here for the vacancy.