My name is Julia Sander, I am 16 years old and I spent two weeks as a intern on board Chicago Express, a 336 metre container and training ship owned by Hapag-Lloyd. Together with 14 other summer seafarers, we travelled from Vancouver, Canada, across the Pacific to Busan in South Korea. The original plan was to travel as far as Singapore, but unfortunately we had to disembark two weeks earlier due to our lacking yellow fever vaccination.
On 30 July, our group arrived in Vancouver on board Chicago Express, where we were warmly welcomed by the crew, which consisted of Germans, Filipinos, a Pole and Romanians. After a safety tour of the ship, we watched the Vancouver skyline at sunset in the evening. Full of anticipation for the coming weeks, our journey began the following day: On leaving Vancouver, we were allowed to enter the bridge in pairs and experience everything up close – it was very exciting to watch the pilot, the captain and the rest of the bridge crew at work. After about two hours, we were passing between Canada and the USA: Vancouver Island could be seen on the right, while Washington was visible on the left.
Life on board: working and discovering
On our first day at sea, a safety exercise took place in which a fire was simulated and we finally manned the free-fall boat. From this point onwards, our work shifts began, during which we took on various tasks in small groups. Among other things, we were involved in painting and maintenance tasks on deck, carried out water analyses, observed the engineers at work in the engine room, accompanied guards on the bridge and the technician on tours, worked on metal in the workshop and learnt to tie knots and do line work at the bow of the ship. There was a crew member in each area who gave us instructions, answered questions and often had fun conversations with us. I enjoyed all the tasks, but I particularly liked the work on the bridge and on deck. Among other things, I found steering and watching the monitors on the bridge very exciting, and there was always a good atmosphere on deck, which made working there particularly enjoyable. The engine room was also very impressive because of the main engine with an output of almost 50,000 hp and the height of a four-storey house.
Adventures at sea: safety, work and leisure
The crew and us holidaymakers also had a lot of fun in our free time. Almost every evening, the seven of us met up in my mate’s and my cabin, talked a lot and played games. In the evenings, we often went up one deck to the “TV Room” to sing karaoke with the rest of the crew, play table football, celebrate birthdays or chat about life on board. We also had a lot of fun at the “Barbecue Party” on deck, and were even able to watch whales. We were also allowed to use the sport room and the pool on board!
Magical moments: sunsets and starry skies
During the farewell party for the holidaymakers, we eventually went up from the TV room to the bridge, where we watched the stars. We were able to see some red shooting stars fly by, marvel at the Milky Way and discover many constellations! Not only stargazing, but also the sunsets at sea were always particularly beautiful, as we often saw whales and other ships.
First sight of land: Hokkaido and Russia
After ten days with nothing but water in sight, we were able to see land again for the first time: the Japanese island of Hokkaido. Later, we could even see parts of Russia from a great distance!
It was both an indescribable feeling to see the vast port and the city, and a wonderful way to end our trip.
My personal highlight of the two weeks was the arrival at Busan on 14 August. As it was already late in the evening, the city and the bridges were beautifully illuminated in different colours. The port of Busan is one of the largest and most important ones in the world, which is why it was so impressive to sail into it. As we were all going to fly home later that day and this was our last evening together, there was a special atmosphere. I enjoyed the view, talked to my new friends and reminisced about the best moments of the past few days. It was both an indescribable experience to see the huge harbour and the city, and a great way to end to our trip.
Conclusion: Insights into the world of shipping
These two weeks on board Chicago Express showed me how varied working and living on a container ship can be. As I had no previous connection to seafaring, I learnt a lot and gained comprehensive insights. Thanks to the internship, I now know that I would very much like to work in the shipping industry later on. I am very grateful to the German Shipowners’ Association and Hapag-Lloyd for making this unforgettable journey possible for me!
