Boerdam, Jean
Captain Jan boerdam from a 1959 company photo (b)
Jean Boerdam was born on 17 July 1924 at Rotterdam as the son of Willem Boerdam and Christina Graveland. He gew up in Rotterdam (known address Korte Kade 120) and attended the Maritime School in Rotterdam during the war years and completed his education in 1944.
ED: The is of this biography is still far from complete. Further information will be added, after visiting the Maritime Museum in Rotterdam in Autumn 2025, as they hold some of his paperwork. Also if any family, friends or relatives are reading this and have more information and /or photos they would like to contribute, please contact me on Captalbert1@aol.com so we can make this biography more complete.
Chief Officer Jean Boerdam on board the ss Maasdam in 1959 during the captain welcome on board party. (b)
Excerpts from the national Dutch registration registers indicate that he married a Miss E.L “Bertie” Wuijster sometime after the war. There were three children Christi (passed away in 2000), Karen and Rens (05 June 1957) (a)
Captain Jean Boerdam. This photo was taken in November 1961 during the delivery of the ms Katsedyk. He had just made a speech for those present during the hand over. (b)
From 1973 to 1983 he was the secretary of the Dutch Association of Deep Sea Captains.
Captain Jan Boerdam passed away on 12 November 1983. unexpectedly, at Rotterdam at the age of 59, so well before his retirement age. He was cremated on 14 November 1983 at the “Hofwijk Crematorium in Rotterdam-Overschie.
His wife passed away in 1987.
Sailing List: (a,b)
Date: Function: Ship: Wages and/or remarks
xx.xxx.1945 Cadet
xx.xxx.1947 Passed exam for 3rd Mate.
xx.xxx.1948 Certificate for opeating Gyro compass & Loran
xx.xxx.1950 Certificate course in Rdar, Loran, Decca, Consol (?), Echo sounder and gyro compass
xx.xxx. xxxx Passed exam for 2nd Mate
xx.xxx.1952 Passed exam for 1st Mate
21 Nov.1953 Chief Officer Aagtedyk at Rotterdam
xx.xxx.1957 Act Chief Off. Nieuw Amsterdam
18 Jan.1958 2nd Officer Dinteldyk at Rotterdam
27 May.1958 2nd. Officer Sommelsdyk at Rotterdam
09 Jul.1958 Chief Officer Nieuw Amsterdam until 26 july (voy 211 to relieve regular chief officer Schippers)
20 Aug.1958 Chief Officer Ryndam (II) until 13 oct. 1958
26 Sep.1958 Chief Officer Groote Beer until 15 oct. 1958
18 Nov.1958 2nd. Officer Diemerdyk at Rotterdam
xx.xxx.1959 Obtained operator certificate or Radar Navigator
07 Dec.1959 Chief Officer Maasdam (IV) until 20 Jun. 1959 (voyages 65,66,67)
14 Sep.1959 2nd. Officer Maasdam (IV) at Rotterdam (voyage 71)
19 Dec. 1959 Captain Sloterdyk (II) until 26 June 1961
23 Oct.1961 Captain Amsteldyk (II)
17 Nov. 1961 Captain Katsedyk until 17 Aug. 1962. First captain of the ship.
08 Sep.1962 Captain Westerdam until 01 Oct 1962 (relieve voyage)
12 Dec.1962 Captain Gorredyk (II) until 24 Oct. 1963 First captain of the ship
10 Feb. 1964 Captain Grebbedyk until 08 Oct. 1964
16 Dec.1964 Captain Poeldyk (II) until 04 Feb. 1965
xx.xxx 1967 Captain Prinses Margriet
24 Jul.1968 Captain Gorredyk (II) until 30 Jul (coastal voyage)
xx.xxx.1969 Captain Kinderdyk (II)
02 May.1970 Captain Gaasterdyk (II) until 01 July 1970
xx Oct.1970 25 years with Holland America Line.
07 Feb.1971 Captain Grebbedyk until 15 Feb. 1971 (coastal voyage)
Sources:
a. Mr. E.H Kruidhof
b. CaptAlbert Archive.
Last Updated: 09 July 2025
August 29, 2018 at 3:28 am
Thank you for the update.
Commodore Bouman was the captain of the ss Rotterdam during the maiden voyage. I am not amazed that a non dutch reporter garbled this name to Boerman or something similar. I still have to find the first none Dutchman who is able to pronounce my name properly.
Best regards
Capt. Albert
January 8, 2021 at 1:34 pm
Zijn naam heb ik nooit vergeten maar hij was mijn kapitein op de Gorredijk. Vanaf de proefvaart tot augustus 1963. Ik was leerling stuurman en voer vanaf september 1962 bij de Lijn. Ben in september naar de Koninklijke Marine gegaan en heb in jullie/augustus 1964 nog een maand op de Dinteldijk gevaren teneinde mijn jaar aals leerling vol te maken. Geweldig mens.
February 4, 2022 at 5:18 pm
Kapitein Jean Boerdam was mijn bijzondere “Zee Pa”. Als mede leerling stuurman heb ik met Theo Oomen de eerste reizen met de Gorredyk meegemaakt. Tijdens de 1e terugreis naar Rotterdam raakten we dankzij of ondanks de routing door het KNMI verzeild in een tweevoudige storm op de Atlanic. Op 28 februari 1963 bleef de barograaf steken bij 955 mb op de onderrand van de trommel doordalend tot 947 mb door extrapolatie (beschreven in de KNMI publicatie nr. 73 in nautisch tijdschrift De Zee mei 1963). De schade bij aankomst in Rotterdam was enorm. Als 4e stuurman monsterde ik samen met kapitein Boerdam op 16 december 1964 aan voor de 2e reis van de Poeldyk naar Mexico. Een aantal zeer aangename reizen met hem naar de Golf gemaak. Hij was een groot liefhebber van de mariachi muziek en nodigde deze muzikanten uit aan boord met de nodige problemen over de rekening. Na 10 reizen met de Poeldyk op26 augustus afgemonsterd bij de HAL. Daarna een dienstplicht als legerluchtwaarnemen gevold door de studie Civiele Techniek aan de TU-Delft en een 31 jaar durende loopbaan bij RWS.
Theo, leuk van je te horen! Hartelijke groeten, Jeroen.