Our destination was Hong Kong, where we were to board “Hansa Ludwigsburg”. (….)
When we reached the quay, “Hansa Ludwigsburg” was just docking, and after mooring, some members of the crew came down the gangway to help us carry our luggage. After we had moved into our cabins, we were warmly welcomed by the captain and given our work clothes and a safety briefing by the second officer, who showed us how to put on life jackets and survival suits and how to abseil out of the window in the event of a fire.
After the last containers had been loaded the next morning, my first voyage on board a containership began. During the manoeuvre, we were allowed to watch the pilot and the captain at work on the bridge, which gave me a first, long-awaited and first-hand impression of the work I would like to do in the future. We were warmly welcomed by the crew, which immediately made us feel comfortable and welcome on board. We were readily given an explanation of the work processes and the many devices on the bridge and the rest of the ship.
No question went unanswered, so from the very first moment we learnt a lot about what we were so interested in. In the days that followed, we familiarised ourselves with the ship, explored every room and had a lot explained to us. When we visited the roaring main engine on the second day and then had a coffee with the engineers in the engine control room, they explained many systems to us and gave us facts and figures, such as the fact that we used 40 tonnes of heavy fuel oil every day. We toured the entire engine room with great interest and admired the three auxiliary diesels, the steering gear, the fresh water system and the hydraulic system, as well as the main engine with its almost 20,000 hp. Day after day, we gathered countless impressions, discovered new and interesting things on board, and were confirmed in our desire to work here professionally.
At one point, the second officer explained to us how a sextant works, after which we tried to determine our position without GPS. We had the opportunity to look around the bridge and elsewhere at any time, and help out. After three days at sea, we experienced our first mooring manoeuvre. After picking up our pilot just off the coast, we passed the harbour entrance of Laem Chabang before observing mooring manoeuvres and mooring from the bridge dock.
During the discharging process, we had the third officer in the Cargo Office explain the cargo monitoring system to us. Each container had to go to its assigned place, selected based on a number of criteria. Among other things, the port of destination, the weight, and the dangerous goods class must be taken into account. (…) In addition to the dangerous goods containers, there are also refrigerated containers, which have their own compressors and temperature control systems, but require a 400 V power connection and constant monitoring. (…) In the Cargo Office we were shown the control unit for the ballast water system, which maintains the balance of the ship during discharging, as well as some computer programmes for managing the reefer container data, for example. (…) In the days that followed, we assisted the crew with various tasks, such as helping rehaul and secure the gangway in port, clean the deck, and report for painting and rust removal. (…) On the way from Laem Chabang to Hong Kong, I often went to the bridge at night to watch the officers doing manoeuvres manually. (…)
The internship was a unique and ideal opportunity for me to gain experience on board and get a better idea of my dream job on board.
