How It All Began

In the late 1990s, already a trained marine engineer, I worked for the Czech Shipping Company. One evening, while sitting in a bar with friends, a friend from East Germany asked me a question that changed my life:

"Would you like to try working on a tanker in Germany?"

At that time, I couldn't even imagine what a tanker was. During my apprenticeship, I had worked on a paddle steamer in Prague, and later on long-distance voyages aboard push tugs and barges transporting mostly oat pulp and wheat between the Czech Republic and Hamburg. The money wasn't great, but it was enough back then.

That night, slightly tipsy, the idea sounded great. One thing led to another, and the next evening I was already in a car heading for Aschaffenburg. I still vividly remember how my friend dropped me off at a gas station at 2 a.m. with the words, "Wait here, someone will pick you up in the morning," and then drove off.

The beginning felt like stepping into another world. After a damp night at the gas station, an older lady arrived around 8 a.m. and said in English, "You must be the Czech guy coming to work with us." Not long after, we were on our way to my first tanker, which – as I later found out – had been gifted by the parents to their two sons.

What can I say? The beginning was a disaster. I quickly realized I knew nothing. Nobody wanted to speak English with me, so I was given an ultimatum: learn the basics of German within a week or, as the young owners said, "you'll go back where you came from."

Within a week, I learned about 200 German words, and in two weeks I could at least partially understand what was being asked of me. I spent four weeks on that ship, lost about 10 kilos, and picked up the basics of the language.

Over the following years, I improved my German, completed secondary school, and later graduated from university. I obtained all the necessary captain's licenses and certifications required for the profession. Today, I've been working as a ship captain for twelve years. In total, I've spent nearly 25 years at river, with about two years also spent in education – but that's a story for another time.

For most of my career, I've worked on tank vessels transporting chemicals and liquefied gas. Over the years, I've met many wonderful people – but unfortunately also quite a few arrogant and condescending individuals who still believe that people from Eastern Europe are somehow less.

Most often, I encountered this attitude among certain Dutch colleagues. Many had almost no formal education but behaved as if they still lived in colonial times, treating foreigners as inferior. Of course, not all were like that – thanks to traveling, I also met truly exceptional people in the Netherlands.

Sadly, racism and xenophobia are still deeply rooted in this profession. This is partly due to social circumstances – abroad, working on ships is often seen as a low-status job, one that locals generally don't want. Most prefer to stay home with their families and friends. That's also likely why companies hire so many foreigners – and I must say, I've met incredibly educated people on ships: engineers, master's graduates, even one colleague who studied at a conservatory.

It's all the more disheartening when you come aboard as an experienced professional who speaks the language, has education and experience – and a colleague won't even shake your hand or greet you. Complete lack of respect. But as I said – we shouldn't lump everyone together. One should strive to remain positive and try to see the world in a better light, even if it's not always easy.

Sometimes, though, it's important to speak up about such behavior. As the saying goes: "Silence in the face of injustice is consent."

Today, I work for Shell on an exciting project involving electro-gas vessels, which are intended to be more environmentally friendly than traditional diesel ships. I believe many of you will be curious about what such a ship looks like – that's why I'm including a few photos.