Being a Seafarer has taught Kamil Lagiewka, Second Officer, many valuable things; how to be brave, how to be patient and how important it is to fully focus on safety- and has taken him to many extraordinary places and experiences like he may have never thought.
The job can be harsh and stressful at times, but you need to be passionate and persevere; even if you have crew members on board who are not nice, speak up if you feel like something is not safe and do not agree to do it.
SAFETY4SEA: What do you love the most out of your career at sea?
Kamil Lagiewka: Meeting new people from all around the World is incredible, I love learning about their countries and lifestyles. Apart from that, I can never have enough of seeing the ocean every day. It calms me down, relaxes me and navigating the vessel in the middle of nowhere is my favorite part.
S4S: What have you learned over the course of your career at sea?
KL:
Life of a seaman can definitely teach many valuable things. We need to deal with time changes, rough weather, new places, regulations and so on. This profession is teaching us how to be brave, how to be patient and how important it is to fully focus on safety.
Thanks to my experience I was able to find a gap in the maritime industry and start my own company called ‘Seawarness’. I am very proud of it. While working on safety improvement equipment which is created to improve safety at sea, I am still an active seafarer so I can discuss new solutions with colleagues on board.
S4S: How would you describe your daily life at sea / work in a few words?
KL: The job is amazing and very interesting – there are no 2 days which are the same. There is always something going on, keeping me busy. What is more, I love my ‘office’ as view from the bridge is breathtaking.
S4S: What is the biggest challenge that you have to face on board?
KL: Staying away from my relatives for longer time is really difficult for me. It is hard to always keep up with the spirit if close ones are far away. It is upsetting when I cannot join family for diner, go out together or just relax at home.
S4S: What is your piece of advice to fellow crew members on board?
KL:
Do not give up, even if you have crew members on board who are not nice to you. Speak up if you feel like something is not safe and you do not agree to do it. Use your experience to change your life – perhaps one day you will start your own company, train other people or be an inspiration to someone else.
S4S: What inspires you every day on board?
KL: It is very inspiring to work with people from all around the World, especially when they are passionate about the job. It is great to hear various stories and share experience – it always keeps me going. I like to see people who try to improve their knowledge and appreciate sharing knowledge regardless of rank.
S4S: What is the one thing that should change to make life better on board?
KL:
Positive thinking and kind approach. Everyone makes mistakes and no one knows everything. Life on board can be rough, seafarers should give positive feedbacks and do not put unnecessary pressure on others. The job can be really stressful at times so if everyone would think about minimizing stress and keeping the good spirit it would be very helpful.
S4S: What piece of advice would you give to someone thinking about career at sea?
KL: Think about it twice, this is not a job for everyone. While it is great to meet many people and learning new things, this job can be really harsh and stressful. Lack of sleep, lack of reliever, being far away from family, bad atmosphere on board – it can lead to depression. Being on board means that you cannot just go out and rest like you would do while being ashore. You cannot just take a day off if you are tired. If you will go on board of the vessel where the company really cares about seafarers and the atmosphere is good (no blame policy at its best) then you will be happier. On the other hand, hardly anyone stays for longer time on one ship, and you never know when you will end up, and for how long.
S4S: What do you miss the most about your seagoing experience?
KL: I miss going out during contract. While working on an LNG vessel, being at port takes usually 24h and it is extremely busy. 99% you are stuck on board for 3 months. It would be very nice to have short contracts too in order to see family more often.
The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and do not necessarily those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
