WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao – Mr. Stokkel is the new commander on the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard cutter Jaguar. Stokkel is the first local from Curaçao to sail on the Jaguar as commander. Stokkel started his career with the Coast Guard after he was transferred from the Antillean militia (now the Caribbean Militia) to the Coast Guard. He started as a fleet operator on board of the P-boats and the inshore boats. When introducing the cutter, he stepped on board of the cutter Jaguar as a sailor.
In 2003 he was placed on board of the cutter Poema in St. Maarten for three years as assistant chief deck. In 2010 he returned to Curaçao and rejoined the cutter Jaguar in the position of 2nd “wachtofficier” and a few years later he became 1st “wachtofficier”. He flew regularly to St. Maarten to sail on the Poema as 1st “wachtofficier” there. For Stokkel St. Maarten is his second home.
Mr. Stokkel took over the command from Mr. Van Roosmalen, Van Roosmalen was commander on the cutter Jaguar between 2017-2020. Van Roosmalen is going for a different challenge within the Coast Guard organization. During the ceremony, Van Roosmalen thanked the Jaguar crew for the great cooperation and wished Stokkel and the team the best of luck together. In the speech of the departed director of the Coast Guard Peter Jan de Vin he said; “This is my last official day of work as director of the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard. I am proud that I can still experience this change of command, a local who takes over the command of the cutter Jaguar.
Congratulation Stokkel and good luck. The Jaguar was the last cutter with a Dutch commander sailing. The other two Coast Guard cutters are being sailed by Aruban commanders. “Thank you Van Roosmalen for everything you have done. You are now going to write a lot of reports for the organization and that is also an important task within the Coast Guard. Van Roosmalen I wish
you the best of luck ”; this according to the departed director of the Coast Guard P.J. the Vin.
Stokkel is a Coast Guard through and through. He has developed himself within the organization, studied a great number of books and fought for this position. “I have achieved this by trial and error. It is a great honor for me to take over the command of the Jaguar ”, said Stokkel, the new commander of the cutter Jaguar in Curaçao.
