Page 46 - 2022 - Q4 - Minerva in Focus

OUR MARITIME FAMILY MINERVA'S OFFICERS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CHALLENGES ONBOARD

This Issue’s Key Question
What is the biggest challenge you face

in your day-to-day life onboard?

Capt. Panagiotis Poularas Ch. Eng. Markos Bairamis towards keeping their minds and bodies fit. We
Master of M/T Amphitrite M/T Minerva Alexandra face many challenges, and it is not as if you can
The biggest challenge I face in Besides the knowledge and take a day off when you are tired. This job is not
my daily life onboard has to do the daily “personal training” meant for everyone, but that is what makes it
with the constant readiness of required to catch up with unique.
the crew so that we can respond technologies evolving at a
to any situation that may arise swift pace, I firmly believe C/O Sergiy Sakharov
from piracy or terrorism to the best of our ability. that the biggest challenge onboard is manag- M/T Minerva Marina
Unfortunately, incidents of piracy and terrorism ing people with different cultures and ethics,
on merchant ships have started to increase ethics whose level of technical knowledge The biggest challenge in my
again. meets the marine industry requirements. day-to-day life onboard is
A big struggle you have to win is leading your achieving and maintaining
Capt. Dimitrios Kyriakopoulos, crew to adopt a safety culture that includes good cooperation between
Master of M/T Minerva Astra sensitivity towards environmental protection all crewmembers and im-
and a mindset that leads you to follow the proving their well-being onboard. In a single
The successful operation of any proper procedures. Last but not least, being word, one could refer to the level of commu-
ship is achieved by overcoming able to rely on your crewmembers is the key to nication between crew members and depart-
challenges on a daily basis - this success in all tasks. ments combined with our collective well-being
is true for the entire crew. These as the “atmosphere” on board. When the at-
challenges are overwhelming on Capt. Georgios Vranas mosphere onboard is positive and friendly, the
an individual scale. However, they can be overcome Master of M/T Minerva Kallisto mental state of seafarers is good, resulting in
with great teamwork and building resilience and an outstanding performance in all aspects of
trust. One of the biggest challeng- our work, no matter how many problems and
Because of the challenges inherent in the job of es in the day-to-day life on difficulties we face.
any crew member, the captain’s greatest challenge board is the need to reduce
is to keep everyone motivated, inspired, and pro- the safety risks relating to 2nd Eng. Hermie Borbon
ductive. That requires clear communication and threats such as piracy and approaching war M/T Minerva Olympia
excellent coordination, ensuring everyone’s per- zones or ports. More specifically, the primary
formance in their duties is at peak level. Through factors in reducing the level of risk are the A seafarer like me battles with
great teamwork and proper safety procedures, the effective training of the crew, the implementa- many challenges, which include:
captain and crew will achieve their common ob- tion of emergency procedures and plans, and 1. Unpredictable weather
jective: The safe and efficient operation of the ship the creation of a safety culture on board. changes pose risks to our
and the successful transportation of the goods lives;
carried. 2nd Eng. Michail Nystazos 2. Being away from home
M/T Minerva Antonia triggers various negative emotions that
Ch. Eng. Markos Bougioukas affect our psychological state
M/T Minerva Leo Life on board can be hard. 3. Duties and responsibilities during in-
Rough weather, inspections, spections and operations, combined
Life on board can be hard. operations, lack of sleep, with unforeseen breakdowns or short-
Rough weather, inspections, and being far from one’s ages of equipment, sometimes lead to a
operations, lack of sleep, and family for months are all factors that can re- lack of sleep as we try to overcome these
being far from our families ally upset anyone. Furthermore, the physical problems.
are all factors that increase the stress level of health of a seaman is always at risk because Nevertheless, we rise above all these waves in
everyone on board the vessel. We face many of extremely hard conditions. Nowadays, lack our lives onboard because our first priority is en-
challenges, but the biggest challenge in our day- of shore leave and the fear of criminal activity suring everyone’s safety. In addition, our families
to-day life is the constant increase of demands predispose seafarers to ill mental health. need us.
towards the vessel from external factors. This Though several factors and challenges lead We all feel heartfelt gratitude for technology,
challenge compels us to surpass our limits in to physical and psychological stress among specifically internet connectivity, because regu-
order to fulfill those demands. seamen, people working on ships must main- lar communication with our loved ones gives us
tain the right attitude to break the monotony, strength in our everyday lives on board, and we
improve interpersonal relationships and work survive.
46 MINERVA IN FOCUS – ISSUE 22 / Q4 2022