No deficiencies – of course! - Brise Schiffahrts-GmbH

6 Brise ABOArD
MV NORRLAND
rePort Do women on board really mean bad luck? When Miss Gyde sievers and Miss Kachina Barmbold
from the Brise office spent a week on the MV nOrrLAnD in June, it seemed to have been a good time for everyone …
“Our one-week trip covered exactly the time the MV nOrrLAnD needs
to complete her scheduled round trip between Bergen, Hovland, Odda,
Haugesund, Tananger (all norway) and immingham (UK),“ Gyde sievers
tells us. “We were really impressed by how busy the crew was and
noticed how little time they had to relax.” Loading and unloading, lashing
and securing, operating the side-loading facility and stowing heavy
cargo and project cargo… the tasks of the crew are manifold. “Yet, they
took the time to tell us about their duties and to explain many features
of the vessel to us,” Kachina Barmbold adds. Before being relieved in
Haugesund, 1st/Off Bartlomiej Pilarski showed the ladies the vessel
A chat with the captain
While on board the MV nOrrLAnD we also took the opportunity to talk to her captain:
Krzysztof Wawrzyniak (41)
n@B: Master Wawrzyniak, why
did you become a captain? Did
you always want to work in seafaring?
Capt. Wawrzyniak: My father
was a fisherman and i started
sailing with a small sailing boat
when i was 12 years old. i decided
to become a seaman when i
was about 15, although my father
didn’t like it because his experience
working as a fisherman
was very hard.
n@B: How long have you been
working for Brise and what do
you like about it?
Capt. Wawrzyniak: i joined
Brise in 2002 and became a
master in 2007. i think the cooperation
with the technical support
is very good and uncomplicated.
The colleagues in the office are
also very nice and always helpful.
n@B: Do you have a favourite
vessel in the Brise fleet? if so,
which one is it and why?
Capt. Wawrzyniak: Yes, it’s the
MV nOrrLAnD. she is more
than 20 years old. i gained most
of my seafarer’s experience on
her and became master on this
ship. she is not easy to manoeuvre
and her different types of
cargo make her a very interesting
vessel to work on. i learned
a lot from Capt. niemeyer and
Capt. Toepfer.
n@B: Oh, you really seem to like
this vessel…
Capt. Wawrzyniak: Yes, and
so do the other colleagues. The
same seamen keep returning to
and explained the loading facilities and the system of ballasting, and
C/e Genadijs Grisnis gave them a tour of the engine room. The cargo
consisted mostly of zinc, aluminium and water pallets. As the MV nOrrLAnD
is a ro-ro vessel, she also transports trailers, excavators and
trucks and even has space for containers and project goods. Kachina
Barmbold: “The electrician Wieslaw roguski explained to us how to
use the side-loading facilities. The port’s forklift carries the goods down
the sildeloader into the cargo hold where the vessel’s forklift takes over
and stows the goods in the right place.” Captain Krzysztof Wawrzyniak,
1st/Off Witold Borecki and 2nd/Off Andrzej trojan showed
them around the bridge and let them take part in the manoeuvres. Gyde
sievers: “it was very interesting to see how the captain and pilot communicate
and work together. in immingham we also had the chance to
observe the bunkering process because new bunker and provisions
had to be taken. This was also a very happy day for Cook Wlodzimierz
Gniewek, as he was met by his son and his daughter who both live in
the UK.” Although the ladies were not nearly as busy as the colleagues
working on board, they only had time to go sightseeing on their very
first day when they arrived in Bergen. Accompanied by 1st/Off Bartlomiej
Pilarski and Os Artur okolotowicz, they enjoyed the beautiful
scenery of norway.
this vessel over and over again.
As a result the team knows the
ship and each other very well,
and the support and teamwork
is great. Whenever i return to the
MV nOrrLAnD, i already know
what i have to do and there is no
need for a long change of command.
i can also relax during
my vacation because there is no
need to be nervous about my job
or the crew.
n@B: Where do you live?
Capt. Wawrzyniak: i live in a
small Polish village called Kolo.
n@B: Are you married? Do you
have any children?
Capt. Wawrzyniak: Yes, i am
married and i have three children.
Our eldest girl is 22, our
boy is 18 and our little girl is just
6 years old.
n@B: Where do you like to sail
best?
Capt. Wawrzyniak: During the
Contact: Gyde Sievers and Kachina Barmbold;
fleet@brise.de
summertime i like the norwegian
fjords with their calm sea and
nice nature. in the Baltic and the
north sea i like the fact that i am
really close to home, so my wife
and children can visit me while i
am on board.
n@B: What do you like to do during
your spare time?
Capt. Wawrzyniak: My favourite
hobby is hunting. i have just received
the Polish permit to own
and to buy my own gun and i
joined an official hunting club.
now i can start to go hunting on
my next vacation.
n@B: What would you like to
read about in upcoming editions
of news@Brise?
Capt. Wawrzyniak: i would love
to read more interviews about
other vessels, crews and captains.
i would also like to know
more about the four new heavylift
vessels in the Brise fleet.