Not long after my return from England I started work as a toolmaker at a small factory in Amsterdam. Although it was interesting work, I just couldn’t see myself working there my whole life. I realised that there must be more in life than being “locked” up in a factory. I had the urge for something with more freedom and adventure. In April 1971 I started looking for something different to do and eventually ended up at Botel Cruises at de Ruyterkade in Amsterdam as a dishwasher. Obviously the job wasn’t that exciting but the environment surely was. I didn’t really care what he job was, I wanted change, see more of the world and meet people.
I can’t remember how many cruises I made on the Amsterdam, which was probably the oldest ship of the fleet of four ships the company owned. Most likely I didn’t do more than two or three cruises from Amsterdam to Rüdesheim and back which was a seven day cruise. This didn’t bother me, I just wanted to get away and see more of the world, although it was only a tiny part of Germany. It didn’t take long before I really fancied one of the stewardesses, her name was Jenny, and she was from Maastricht. One day we agreed that we would go out together in Rüdesheim, to visit the Drosselgasse, a narrow up-hill ally with loads of souvenir shops, bars, restaurants and terraces.
After I had finished my work washing up the dishes, pots and pans and scrubbed the floor, I went to my cabin to get changed. When we were just to leave the ship I was stopped by the chef who said that the kitchen floor wasn’t clean enough and that I had to do it again which I did. We then again planned to go and I was told it wasn’t clean enough and that I had to do it again. I refused this and left the ship together with Jenny.
When we returned at the ship late that evening, the manager, the chef and the captain where waiting for us. I was told that because I had refused to do my job, I was fired and that I would have to leave the ship first thing in the morning. Without money in my pocket I was taken of the ship and saw her leave the jetty turning around for the trip back to Amsterdam. I just stood there wondering what just happened, how could they do that? Leave me behind in Germany without any money. I started to walk and found a place where I stopped to put my thumb up hoping for a lift. A dozen or so rides later I arrived back in Amsterdam.
The following day I went back to the Botel Cruises office to tell them what had happened. I also told the HR manager that I wanted to work for the company but this time not as dishwasher but as mate/sailor. His response was that it would be very unlikely to fulfil such job without any experience. He resumed by saying, if you would have any experience he would seriously consider. I thanked him, walked to the door, turned around and said, see you next year!
From the office I went home and told my parents about my plans. The following weeks I just relaxed and looked around for work. After doing several odd jobs during the summer, one day my dad came home from work, I believe he was more excited than I was, he had seen a sign outside a tugboat company in Amsterdam searching for an apprentice. First thing next day I went for an interview and was hired on the spot! I was assigned to a captain of a tiny tugboat, we were to transport sand from near Pampus in the IJsselmeer. The sand was loaded into a huge barge which we didn’t tug but pushed it all the way through Amsterdam. The sand was used to strengthen a dyke near a place called Lijnden along the Ringvaart.
In May 1972, after a period of 7 months, the job was done and my service was no longer required. I could have stayed working with Tjeerd the skipper and owner of the tiny tugboat, but I had set my mind on the Rhine River cruise ships. Once I had received my certificate as mate/sailor; I went straight to the office of Botel Cruises behind the Central station in Amsterdam. The HR manager Mr. de Graaf was willing to see me even without an appointment. With a huge smile on my face I gave him the certificate which I had just received less than 20 minutes ago. He looked at it for a minute or so and then looked at me over his reading glasses. So, who are you and what do you want, he asked. I told him that he had told me that if I came back with experience as mate/sailor he would consider hiring me on one of his ships, so here I am. His reply was, well well, you really want to do this don’t you!
It went silence in the office, after a minute or so he asked, when can you start? My answer was, immediately… or is that too soon I said. No, no that’s just fine; one of our ships is coming from Zaandam and is on its way to Volendam. If you go and wait at the end of the jetty, you can jump on board when the MS Holland passes by. The ship will return tomorrow and if the captain is satisfied with you and your work, you will leave for a Rhine cruise to Strasbourg the day after. It’s a 14 day cruise and make sure you don’t get fired again!
That year I made several trips from Amsterdam to Strasbourg and back, can’t remember exactly how many but must have been at least 6 two weeks cruises.