Around a hundred years ago, brothers Jan and Marinus Damen ran a small, simple firm out of a wooden shed beside the Merwede. They adapted to local demand, and made everything from stovepipes to bicycles. But when they built a boat and it sold almost immediately, they decided to focus entirely on that.

In the decades that followed, the company grew into a small shipyard. Meanwhile, Jan Damen’s son was born: Kommer. He grows up among the ships under construction at the shipyard, but he doesn't seem to be interested in working at his father’s company. However, at the end of the 1960s, Kommer is called upon: he can no longer avoid working there. And that proves to have far-reaching consequences…

This episode covers the period between 1927 and 1967. Want to know more about this podcast? Check out podcast.damen.com

‘On Course’ is a Damen Shipyards podcast and is produced by audio agency Airborne.