Phillip Vanderdecken was a Danish pirate, and captain of the Fleiger Hollander. As such, he was often referred to as "The Dutchman", the literal meaning of his surname is "of the decks". Vanderdecken was a ruthless Captain, not tolerating disrespect from any of his crew. As such, he was overzealous, believing he could sail his ship alone if necessary. He also made a point of employing sailors of different nationalities, so that they would be less likely to mutiny against him.