After Nautical College I sailed 6 years as an engineer. My company was the United Netherlands Navigation Company (in dutch Verenigde Nederlandse Scheepvaart Maatschappij or V.N.S.). After 1 ½ years of sailing, our company became the Royal Nedlloyd (in dutch Koninklijke Nedlloyd). From that moment I sailed on cargo ships from the Netherlands Line (Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland or S.M.N.) and the Royal Rotterdam Lloyd (Koninklijke Rotterdamse Lloyd).