CFL

Sometimes, even Martin Erik Remeeus himself is surprised that he made the move when he did. When he was asked to become the CFL Fleet Commodore, he already had 30 years of seafaring experience behind him - in all kinds of positions and on all sorts of vessels. His impeccable track record meant that he could have taken up a position with pretty much any shipping company he wanted. But he chose instead to take up Kees Koolhof’s offer of a position as CFL’s first member of staff, helping to build up the young company. As the fleet commodore explained by telephone, from the wheelhouse of the CFL Promise as it made its way from China to Djibouti, there were two issues that decided the matter for him. ‘First and foremost, this post at CFL is a challenging one,” he says. “As fleet commodore, I’m involved with a much broader range of activities than I would be elsewhere. I’m there at the drawing-board stage of the ships, and I make suggestions for the design that will help make them more practical and better in use. I’m also responsible for the whole process of ensuring that new ships are fit for the purpose. I help in setting up an efficient administration system for each vessel, I select and oversee the best crews for the ships, and I’m also actively involved in crew training.”
Equally important is the fact that, from day one, Martin Erik Remeeus has had the feeling that CFL is an enterprise with a winning mentality. “Even when the freight charges reached an impossibly low level, I never heard Kees and his people talk about altering their ambitious plans for new-build vessels,” he says. “They believe unconditionally in the market potential of the type of ship we are sailing and in the configurations they’ve chosen. That’s the kind of drive that attracts me. What’s more, this company isn’t set in its ways about how a shipping company should be run. They really listen seriously to any initiative aimed at trying to do things differently. And if you’re able to back up your arguments, they let you implement your ideas. That really appeals to me.”

> No pecking order
So in what other ways is CFL different from other shipping companies you have sailed with?
Remeeus: “Of course, there’s the age of the fleet. I don’t think there are many companies around sailing vessels that are an average of only two years old. Three new ones are added each year, and I’m involved on an almost daily basis with getting them ready to sail and manned up to CFL’s high standards. Another thing is that this company isn’t held back by hierarchical relationships. Many shipping companies I’ve worked for still have there’s a pecking order that forms an obstacle to speedy decision-making. Here, you’re judged primarily on the basis of your performance and not on where, when and how you achieved it.”

As fleet commander, you also contribute to the ships’ design processes. Could you give a concrete example of how you’re involved?
‘Take the alterations to the wheelhouse. I thought it was too small in the first Jumbo series, and that the accommodation wasn’t practical enough. Actually, every officer on every ship thinks that, but in this case – and as far as I can recall this a first in my career – something is being done about it. In the new version of the design, the accommodation for the captain and the navigating officer is one level higher, which creates more space in the wheelhouse. Another example is my suggestion, which was accepted, to make the ventilation shafts detachable. This is more practical when it comes to loading and transferring deck cargo.”

So you also contributed to the design of the new series of Sole ships?
“That’s right. Like any natural born seafarer, I don’t believe that one really ideal vessel exists, but I do think that the Sole 10,000 gets pretty close to it. The design brings together all the improvements in knowledge we’ve gained in the past few years. And another thing, it has cranes onboard – as someone who has spent most of his time transporting general cargo, I think no ship is complete without its own cranes.”

> Great career prospects
You have said that this expansion of the CFL fleet is good for crew members' career prospects.
“Yes, that’s right. The Sole vessels can be used for yet more destinations. And this ship has other seafaring qualities that are very attractive to someone with experience on Jumbos or other vessels. I’m convinced that this expansion of our fleet also makes CFL a more attractive employer. We can also offer Dutch officers more interesting career prospects – that’s a percentage we are looking to increase anyway.”

Are you satisfied with the way things are going at the moment regarding the selection and coaching of the crews?
“Definitely, since we started a joint-venture with recruiting agencies in Manilla and Jakarta. Right now, for example, I’m sailing as a coach with a completely Indonesian crew. We’re only a few weeks out to sea, but I’m already very impressed by their professionalism and discipline. I have six weeks to get them acquainted with the ship and procedures. But they’re picking things up so quickly, I could go ashore earlier.”

What sort of things are expected of the crew?
“Here at CFL, we see our ship and its crew as our visiting card. And a professional organisation should have a well-presented and efficiently run ship. I’m also attentive to details: when a pilot or a customs official comes aboard, the captain should be appropriately dressed, the ship should be in order and all the paperwork should be ready. But we also make great efforts to create a long-lasting relationship with the people who sail with us. I believe that we put more energy into coaching and training and that the onboard facilities are better than average. We see that as an investment. We’re sailing with new and expensive material, and a committed crew is well worth it for us.”

If you would like to know more about working at CFL, please contact Amarens van der Veer at CFL's crew department.