Success stories: Andrey Drobakha, senior engineer on expedition ships

Why did you choose to work at sea?

My dad graduated from the Odessa Nautical School of the Technical Fleet. He himself did not go to work at sea, it happened that way, but from the very childhood he prepared me for a sea career. I entered MKTF, studied for five years, then transferred to full-time education at ONMA. Moreover, I combined my last year in college with a part-time job as a laboratory assistant. I moved to Columbia Shipmanagement in 2011 as a third mechanic.

You have worked on different types of ships. What is the difference between working on a cargo ship and working on an expedition ship?

Mechanics, unlike navigators, are no different. But still, everything is a little more complicated on our expedition ships, because there is a more power-armed system here. On cargo ships, everything is kept to a minimum, everything is designed primarily to ensure the safety of navigation. And on the expedition ship everything is in triple volume. For example, there are large distillation plants and other equipment.

Many people think that working on such a vessel is more interesting because of the unusual routes. But it all depends on the position and the order of keeping the watch. For example, when I was a junior officer, I had much more free time. Defended the watch, and went. A higher position does not allow you to leave for a long time: you are responsible for a lot, and you must control everything.

How did you grow up at Columbia Shipmanagement?

I came third, got a recommendation for promotion and, since I had enough experience, I went second in the next contract. In the same company, I grew up to a senior mechanic. In general, the company has all the conditions for your promotion. If you have a working diploma, qualifications and recommendations for promotion, growth is guaranteed.

Tell us about the features of working on expedition ships.

The main difference is that the vessel is designed to operate in areas with low sea water temperatures. The hull has been strengthened: the ship I worked on can navigate in ice 70 cm thick. We entered the ice a couple of times with acceleration, lowered the gangway, and the passengers went onto the ice floe to have a barbecue there. I worked on the expedition for two years, I was both in the north and in the south. It was Europe to the extreme northern point, where there was a base port where we changed passengers. And in the south – Antarctica, and I was just on a flight when we called at the Vernadsky station. We visited both the English station and the Chilean one. Went through the Antarctic fjords. We saw how fragments of the shelf break off and go into the Indian Ocean. On one occasion, the ship circled a huge breakaway iceberg for five hours as it began to move towards Africa. In principle, work is like work, but there are penguins and polar bears around. Whales were seen many times near the ship. Passengers filmed videos of humpback whales flipping over and displaying flippers. And for the first time in my life I saw that a white bear can “sunbathe” on a rock thirty meters high above the water level.

What skills do you need to have to work on such vessels?

As with any other – basic knowledge and desire. And do not be afraid to ask questions: there will be a desire and interest – the rest will be taught.