Derek Vanderveer is tall and very lean, and moves with the grace of a cat. His rather long ash brown hair occasionally obscuring his face. His rather light moustache and goatee betray his youth, but add a bit of panache. Dirk tends to wear flowing shirts and snug trousers often dispensing with both his shoes and shirt when working aloft. A rapier hangs from a black leather baldric.

Onboard the ship Vanderveer has been a rather quiet fellow, when he does speak he speech is often as pointed as his rapier. Although he generally speaks English, his accent is a with slight hint of German and French. Few on the ship know much about the lad who has only been aboard for a few months.