Each seafarer has his own path in the maritime fleet

Each seafarer has his own path in seafaring. In this regard, no two stories are the same.

Alexey Yurievich Bonko has been at sea since 1991. He started his sea career working on board fishing vessels in the Far East region. Over time, he switched to cargo shipping. Recently, he has come to the Baltic Territorial Organization of the Seafarers’ Union of Russia on his business and told a little about himself.

Since 2014, Alexey Yuryevich’s working life has been connected with the St. Petersburg-based Afalina Shipping Management Company LLC, through which he is employed on OWH Shipmanagement GmbH vessels. He currently works in the position of Third Engineer of the MV Crown Sapphire.

“I’m 50 years old and, to be honest, in my entire career at sea I worked in an officer rank only a few voyages,” - he noted with a smile. – All of them were on board OWH-owned vessels.

According to Alexey Yuryevich, he didn’t even intend to become an officer: he worked for different companies at ratings positions. For him, this became a common and quite familiar thing. But gradually, he realized that it was necessary to move further.

— At the age of 45, I entered the State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping named after Admiral Makarov O.S. on distance learning base, - he explained. — I completed my studies and received a diploma in Marine Engineering.

Now, working for OWH, he notes the reliability of employment through Afalina, timely payment of wages, and convenient rotation with crew changes taking place mainly in Russian ports.

He also sends his best regards to all his colleagues from Rostov-on-Don, the city where he now lives.

Based on materials from BTO SUR