Something is lurking around every corner

by Bert Hermans · Gouda, NL

n this oil painting Bert has painted the propeller-shaft tunnel of the engine room of the SS Rotterdam. Bert is now working as a volunteer shiphost one morning a week on this former cruiseship. In 1966, in between his secondary school and the military service, he has sailed on the ship and worked there as a hut steward and later as 'commis' in the restaurant La Fontaine. The SS ROTTERDAM (38,645 GRT) is the largest passenger ship ever built in the Netherlands to be equipped with Parsons turbines. The ROTTERDAM was one of the largest examples of the generation of passenger ships designed to make line voyages. In the 1960’s, the ship ranked among the world’s top ten liners. At this time, there are only about eight, mostly smaller, ships with Parsons turbines still sailing.