Twin tides: Captain Krzystof Herbut on fatherhood and commanding the high seas
When he was only 8 years old, Captain Krzysztof Herbut knew that he wanted to go to sea. Today, his twin daughters are 8 years old themselves – and very proud that their father is a captain. Here, the 41-year-old explains how he came to Hapag-Lloyd after many years of working as a chief mate, which place has the best fish, and what his dreams for the future are
Container Terminal Altenwerder in Hamburg. Under a bright sunny sky, the “Guayaquil Express” is a hive of activity as it is being quickly loaded. Reefers, standard containers and flatracks are being conveyed from the aisles of the container yard to the cranes using fully automated transporters. One by one, they are picked up by the spreaders and stacked in the bays by the crane operators with the necessary dexterity. This port choreography, which has been worked out down to the smallest detail, is performed countless times at terminals around the world. In the office on Deck A of the “Guayaquil Express”, Chief Mate Jakub Gorski is taking care of the necessary paperwork, while the rest of the crew are working on the bridge and on deck, in the engine room, and in the galley.
Captain Krzysztof Herbut is standing in the conference room in a good mood. He was promoted last year, and pride is written all over the face of this extremely fit man with closely cropped black hair. His eyes are as blue as the ocean, especially when he talks about how his twin daughters reacted to his promotion last year at home in the Polish port city of Szczecin. “They really wanted me to put on the uniform for them so they could see what their dad looks like as a captain,” he says with a smile.
Career decision on the Baltic Sea
Already as a child, Herbut knew that he wanted to go to sea one day. “In the evening, I stood on the bridge of a cargo ship for the first time in my life and looked out at the glittering waters of the Baltic Sea. Mesmerized, I swore to myself that I would stay up all night.” After year 10, he wanted to enroll in a programme to earn a vocational baccalaureate in nautical science. “When I was 20, I applied to the Polish Naval Academy in Gdynia.” When asked why he didn’t just attend the Marine University of Szczecin, the captain explains, “I first needed to get away from home for a bit.” But he did end up completing his degree in his hometown. And Hapag-Lloyd was already at the top of his employer wish list back then. “A friend of mine who worked for Hapag-Lloyd said to me: ‘Do anything to join us! You’ll never regret it!’” he says. “But there weren’t any vacancies, so I ended up in the cadet programme at Marlow Navigation, an international crew manager.”
The first voyages were instructive, but not always what the young seafarer had imagined in his dreams. “The trips to Asia and South America lasted six months right at the beginning, which seemed endless to me,” he explains. “There were Russian, Ukrainian, Estonian and Filipino seamen on board, and everything was new and strange. Fortunately, the Ukrainian captain took me under his wing, and I’m still grateful for that to this day. When I see our young apprentices, I realize how important it is for them to have an advocate on board.” With time he landed a new job with the shipping company Hamburg Süd.
A new shipping company and starting a family
This was followed by a decade of hard work on oceans around the world. "That's where I learned everything that I bring to the table today as a captain," he says. "This includes the tools of the trade but, most importantly, how to work with others in a collegial manner." During this period, he met his wife, Alexandra, and became the father of Laura and Luisa. It was hard for him not to be able to be there for the birth of his daughters. "I had just been promoted to chief mate, and the voyage was from the United States to the east coast of South America over Christmas and New Year's Eve," he recounts. "When I arrived home at the end of January, the girls were already 10 weeks old." Still, he has only positive things to say about Hamburg Süd. In fact, it was only after the shipping company was acquired by another one that he no longer saw a future for himself there. So, he applied for a job at Hapag-Lloyd. "I actually still had the old HR email address," he notes. That’s almost five years ago, and the native Pole is now enjoying every second of his job.
Tasty fish, lounging sea lions and loyal wolves
Since being promoted in 2023, Herbut has been a captain on the "Guayaquil Express". "I've realised my dreams, and the 'Guayaquil Express' is a fantastic ship," he says. "We can fit 2,100 refrigerated containers on board, which means we can transport a huge amount of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish to Europe." From Hamburg, the ship sails via Antwerp and Le Havre to the west coast of South America. "The people are so friendly and relaxed, the weather is great, and the fish is delicious," Herbut notes with a laugh.
His favourite animal, however, is the wolf – as one can easily tell from the magnificent tattoo on his right arm. A male wolf's head adorns the shoulder, and just below it is a portrait of a mother wolf with two small female pups. It isn't hard to guess that it symbolises his family. "Wolf packs stay together for life, are incredibly social and protect each other," he explains. There's no question that these values also apply to his "family" on board. Despite all his satisfaction, does he have any wishes left to fulfil? The captain doesn't have to think long before saying: " My dream? 400 metres! At some point, once I've gained some more experience, I'd really like to helm one of the ships in our new Hamburg Express class. At 400 metres long and 61 metres wide, they're simply gigantic!"
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