The boatmen of the KRVE, the Koninklijke Roeiers Vereeniging Eendracht moor incoming ships in the port of Rotterdam in all weathers, 365 days a year and around the clock, and untie them before the ships leave. In doing so, each bosun is a fully trained skipper and brings years of experience to perform this tough job. The association was founded in 1895 when rowboats were still used to fasten and unfasten ropes by hand. For this reason, the boatmen are still called roeiers (rowers) in Dutch.
