First-year marine engineers visited a seagoing vessel for the first time

The Kaliningrad Territorial Organization of the Seafarers’ Union of Russia organized an excursion on board the research vessel “Akademik Sergei Vavilov” for the first-year students of Marine Engineering Faculty of the Baltic Fishing Fleet State Academy. 

The cadets went down to the “heart” of the research vessel and saw with their own eyes how the engine room worked. However, the excursion started with a safety briefing by the Chief Mate Vladimir Titov, and only after that the guys went on an excursion. On the navigation bridge and in the rudder house they were told about tricks of operating and interacting with the “machine.” 

Then they were given an opportunity to see the cabins of crew members, the mess room, to find out more about living conditions and, thus, to get an insight into a seafarer's life on board. 

Vladimir Sychev, a KTO SUR instructor, drew the cadets’ attention to personal safety devices, life-saving equipment and life rafts. The 3d Engineer, Nikolay Mylnikov, a man passionate about his profession, told the first-year cadets about the operation of the ship’s main propulsion unit and which member of the Engine Room team is in charge of what. 

He thoroughly and with pleasure showed the guys the main mechanisms of the “machine” and, of course, the main engines and auxiliary diesel generators. He also gave a short excursion to the control center, explained how documentation is maintained, showed the “Logbook” and answered questions from future sailors. 

Let us note that there is a SUR collective agreement on board R/V “Akademik Sergei Vavilov”, as well as other research vessels of the Atlantic Fleet Base, a branch of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences. This is not the first time that the Kaliningrad Territorial Organization of the Seafarers’ Union of Russia arranges such an excursion for children. Similar visits have already taken place on board the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh and the R/V Akademik Ioffe. 

Despite the similar principles of the design and operation of vessels, cadets always visit them with interest - each vessel is individual in its own way. The excursion on board R/V “Akademik Sergei Vavilov” also brought a lot of positive emotions and provoked even more interest to work at sea. The cadets thanked the crew members for their hospitality and the opportunity to visit a real seagoing vessel for the first time. 

In conclusion, the first-year cadets were told that they could undergo shipboard training on the vessels of the Atlantic Branch of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences.