Remembering a gentleman seaman

One of Albany’s last surviving links to its whaling history will be remembered as a true gentleman and passionate seaman, according to his close friend who spent many years at sea with him.

Kees van der Gaag, the skipper of the Cheynes II, passed away at his home in Albany on Tuesday, aged 83.

Mr van der Gaag arrived in Albany in 1969 and became a whale-chaser skipper at Australia’s last operational whaling station.

After starting as a deckhand on the Gascoyne, he worked his way up the ranks to eventually become skipper of the Cheynes II in 1974.

Mr van der Gaag quit his job in 1977 — one year before the whaling station closed.

His mate aboard the Cheynes II, Paddy Hart, fondly recalled their time together.

“He was a true gentleman, a great friend and mentor of mine. He was a very experienced seaman, I certainly learnt a lot from him,” he said yesterday.

Mr Hart said he believed over time his mate’s views on whaling changed, leading him to quit the industry.

“He had strong views on whaling and left before whaling finished,” he said.

“I think the killing got to him.

“The latter years he spent promoting the safety of whales.”

In an interview with the Albany Advertiser two years ago, Mr van der Gaag recalled the lucky escape when a grenade was detonated on the gun deck of the Cheynes II.

“I had shot a whale and myself, Paddy Hart, Peter Johnson and another deckhand were on the gun deck,” he said.

“We were putting a harpoon in and while we were doing that, the detonator went off.

“I remember thinking, what a way to go on a day like this … I think Peter Johnson started running along the catwalk to the bridge and that woke me up. I raced behind him and the other two jumped behind the gun and the grenade exploded.”

Funeral arrangements were yet to be made at press time as his extended family travels from Holland.