“I started right at the bottom” – Seafarer Series: Chief Engineer Zbigniew Siwko

At 14, Zbigniew Siwko already dreamed of going to sea as a ship’s engineer someday – maybe even as Chief Engineer? His dream was fulfilled at Hapag-Lloyd.

If you start your career by spending eight months on a dilapidated freighter, nothing else can shock you,” says Zbigniew Siwko. The man with the distinctive bald head clearly recalls his first journey on the “Baltic Stone” 20 years ago: “A storm came out of nowhere while we lay at anchor between Livorno and La Spezia. As the ship rolled 40 degrees, a 500-kilo spare piston head from the main engine tore from its mount and started rolling back and forth through the engine room. It could have damaged or destroyed a lot of equipment,” the 45-year-old reports. The sailors finally managed to fasten the part back down. “That was just one of countless unpleasant incidents on that journey,” says the Chief Engineer. Siwko made the decision to go to sea as a teenager: “My father was a fitter at a Polish shipping company. I often watched him at work, and it was completely fascinating!” The teenager first attended vocational school in Gdansk to learn about shipbuilding; a few years later, he completed his engineering studies at the technical university in that city. “I started as a cleaner on a bulk carrier and learned all about seafaring from the ground up.” he is grateful that, almost in passing, he has gotten to know wonderful ports like San Pédro in Côte d’Ivoire and Port Louis on Mauritius. In subsequent years, he worked as an engineer of the watch on various vessels. “But every time I saw Hapag-Lloyd’s giant container ships, I thought working on them would be a dream!”

In 2008, his dream became reality. Zbigniew Siwko applied to Hapag-Lloyd as an engineer of the watch and was accepted. His first journey on the “Stuttgart Express” was challenging: “New environment, new procedures, new colleagues. But the spirit on that journey – fantastic!” recalls the Chief Engineer. Zbigniew Siwko was promoted in 2015: “Right before my 40th birthday, just like I had hoped,” he says. Since then, he has particularly treasured his journeys on the “Chicago Express”. “Our young apprentices travel along on this vessel. Introducing them to life on board is a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.” Siwko knows how it feels to be so far from home for the first time. “That’s why my office door is always open to everyone. And if I notice that someone is shy, I start the conversation.” What kinds of things does he teach the apprentices? “I always say: learn as much as you can right on board since this is where you’ll be in charge in the future. Go on your rounds, check every piece of equipment, temperature, pressure etc. With time, you will notice even slight differences.” For the father of three children, complete concentration is essential. “When I go on board, I leave everything else behind. The only things that count then are the ship, the engines, and the team. But when I’m done three months later, it’s just the opposite. All that counts then is my family!”

Kayak instead of container ship – why not?

Siwko enjoys journeys close to home, too. “One of the best trips was our family holiday when we travelled with kayaks, tents and the whole lot along the Krutynia river – I highly recommend it!” The Krutynia is one of the most beautiful paddling routes in Poland. “The tour crosses the Masurian Lake District via multiple lakes and rivers. It offers not only a great deal of untouched nature, but also well-equipped campsites,” Siwko adds. And he still has time for his favourite hobby: genealogical research. In fact, Siwko can now trace his family tree back to the 18th century. “And who knows? Maybe in 200 years, one of my descendants will find this text and say, ‘Look, that was my great-great-great-grandfather, who went to sea for Hapag-Lloyd as a chief engineer!’” he says with a laugh.

What’s Zbigniew Siwko doing today?

Like many of his colleagues, he has attended Hapag-Lloyd’s training courses on LNG: “The most recent one was the IGF basic training in Hamburg for the new LNG ships. June 2022, I changed ships and boarded the ‘Hanoi Express’ for my first assignment on a ship of the ‘Hamburg Express’ class. New ship, new equipment, new challenges! I’m still sailing on it.”