Karel Fros (81) always wanted to go to sea. And that's what he did. And it yielded wonderful stories and a wealth of life experience. “My father was a civil servant; he didn't like the fact that I wanted to go to sea. But then again, I was born with salt in my blood. However, I nevertheless ended up going to sea after doing various other things. In 1959, when I was nineteen, I started working as a ship's electrician at the Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland. That shipping company had both freight and passenger ships and I was lucky enough to be placed on their passenger ship, the Oranje. That was seen as a privilege, because a passenger ship was prestigious. We ate in the passenger mess and had to appear at the table in uniform. And spotlessly clean: no black edges under your nails, even if you had just soaked your fingers in lubricating oil. It sounds terribly colonial, you can't imagine it now, but in those days a number of Chinese and Javanese worked for us. They washed our overalls, prepared clean clothes and polished our shoes. After a short break due to military service, I switched to the cargo ships of the Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland. I remember very well that the first time I signed on in Malta, I introduced myself to the chief engineer and was immediately ordered to repair the deck light in the mast. But that mast was 30 metres high and I got dizzy just standing on a matchstick. But I did it and immediately lost my fear of heights. Another memorable occasion was when we had to bring mining equipment from India to South America. The loading in India was in port, but in South America we were moored at a pier that jutted out into the sea. We unloaded the cargo using our own muscles. Due to the swell of the ship, the heavy crates often landed on the trucks with a loud bang. When we finished, many trucks were broken and we had no lines left for the winches. I ended up spending only five years in the merchant navy, because the shipping company acquired new ships on alternating current. They were too low-maintenance for having an electrician on board. But even though it was short, that period taught me a lot. It was hard work, but it shaped me for the rest of my life. I have always remained a seafarer.” ←