For the love of seafaring ... and jazz

Captain André Czarnotta likes the vastness of the ocean, almost all kinds of jazz, and the camaraderie on board the “Santos Express”. Below, he explains why flat hierarchies and trust are the keys to success in addition to giving some tips for how people unfamiliar with jazz can get into it.

We spoke with Captain André Czarnotta at Hamburg’s Container Terminal Burchardkai before the coronavirus crisis had started to escalate. By the time the first restrictions on going outside were imposed on land, it had already been some time since the captain and his crew had set sail on the Atlantic Ocean headed for the Colombian port of Cartagena. They notice few of the impacts of the global pandemic, and all crew members are in excellent health. At this point, it is not clear what the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) will mean for the rest of the voyage of the “Santos Express”. Like all Hapag-Lloyd captains, André Czarnotta remains in close contact with the shipping company.

When the interview comes to a close, Captain André Czarnotta spontaneously sits down at a piano and improvises “Maiden Voyage”, one of the most famous compositions of the jazz pianist Herbie Hancock. “I worked the night shift, so I first need to warm up a bit,” he says apologetically. But the sounds emanating from the officers’ mess of the “Santos Express” at Hamburg’s Container Terminal Burchardkai are so haunting and beautiful that everyone nearby stops to listen. The song is a fitting one, as the captain had expressly had the piano installed on the “Santos Express” when he took command of the brand-new vessel in 2017. Indeed, Czarnotta is proud to this day that he was permitted to pick up the container ship in South Korea three years ago. From there, he brought the vessel to Santos, the largest port in Brazil, for its naming ceremony. “It was an incredible feeling, an honour,” the 47-year-old says with emotion.

Although a passion for navigation doesn’t run in his family, it is present along the river where André Czarnotta grew up. Already as a child, the Hamburg native would stroll along the Elbe, dreaming of going out into the wider world himself. “I grew up on the water. As a teenager, I sailed on the Elbe in the small cutters of our Altona/Övelgönne sailing club. And my dream was to one day be able to sail out into the world from Hamburg on board a container ship,” André Czarnotta says. With hard work, discipline and passion, he made this dream come true.

At 19, Czarnotta applied for an apprenticeship at Hapag-Lloyd to become a ship mechanic. Then, after going through all the remaining stages, including university studies, he finally earned both engineering and navigating licenses. The postings he had as a young man included one on the old “Leverkusen Express”, three years in the PAX service, and several years on the “Tsing Tao Express”. “Asia, the Mediterranean, the United States – I’ve been everywhere,” he says of his 26 years on board, 14 of which he has sailed as a captain.

“The transition from chief officer to captain is probably the biggest step,” he says in a calm voice while describing the challenges of being a leader. “The stress level is a lot higher because you have to know at all times what needs to be done. “But I had very good teachers, both on deck and in the engine room. This has given me strength to believe in myself.” To find some balance, Czarnotta regularly practices yoga.

The captain mainly views leadership as being a team effort. Not everyone has to be able to do everything; the crucial factor is the right coordination. “Of course there is a hierarchy on board, but I try to regiment my crew as little as possible. People perform at their best when you leave them some wiggle room.” The level-headed captain considers trust and honesty to be essential. “A positive spirit, a good sense of camaraderie – when it comes down to it, that’s exactly what you need,” says André Czarnotta. To foster them, he organises shore leaves and parties with his crew. “Countless refrigerated containers obviously have to be loaded in the ports on the west coast, too. But an excursion in Lima, such as to the Gold Museum, is unforgettable. Then, as soon as we are off the coast, there is a barbecue party for everyone, and we have a taste of fantastic Chilean wine. In this way, those seafarers who couldn’t come onshore get something from it, as well.” It doesn’t always happen that a captain has a crew that likes to sit down and enjoy dinner together, speaks about God and the world, or holds a foosball tournament. “I’m grateful that we all get along so well.”

Back home, Czarnotta has a wife and two sons, 6-year-old Piet and 9-year-old Leo. When asked how he reconciles his job with his family life, he says: “My wife is just super resourceful when it comes to getting me involved as the father of the family. When my first son was still very small, she hung a photo of me over the bed when I was away and said ‘good night’ to it every night before leaving him alone. And when I came home after months at sea, my one-and-a-half-year-old son recognized me immediately, pointed his finger at me, and said ‘Daddy’. I found that really touching.” And there’s something else that the boys love when Daddy comes home: “I always bring lots of presents!” the captain says with a laugh.

Another advantage of being in the shipping business is that the captain can buy original instruments right where they are made. For example, there are three Candombé congas from Uruguay on the wall in the officers’ mess, on which the captain plays rhythms from salsa to samba. Given these interests, the Latin America route of the “Santos Express” is a good fit for Czarnotta. “On this route, you get to experience everything that makes seafaring so beautiful: first the European ports of Hamburg, Rotterdam and Antwerp, and then the vastness of the Atlantic,” he says. “And after you’ve passed through the Panama Canal, you are welcomed by the Pacific and the west coast of Latin America. There, you can also enjoy even smaller ports and look out on untouched countryside from up close. This route is probably the most beautiful one I’ve ever sailed on.”

Whenever possible, André Czarnotta uses the little free time he has on board to sit down at the piano. Then he opens up the Real Book, the music bible of all jazz musicians, and immerses himself in the world of improvisation. “It’s a bit like seafaring: Once you’ve mastered the rules, you can move about freely. And that’s jazz for me: incredible freedom.” When asked if he has a tip for how to make jazz a bit more accessible to people who don’t know much about it, he says: “I can only recommend John Coltrane to everyone! The way he interprets the song ‘My Favorite Things’ with his quartet is fantastic.” For his part, Captain André Czarnotta found his favourite things a long time ago.