This photo shows a characteristically thoughtful and modest Captain Gregersen with the wristwatch that was presented to him at our Copenhagen office to mark his 40 years of continuous service, together with (l-r) Masayuki Nishiyama of nearby Maersk Tankers A/S and Synergy’s Janus Auken, Umesh Shinde, Ken Dorn Hansen and Shakil Ahmed.
1. How did you feel at the very start of your first voyage?
My first voyage was on the training ship “DANMARK” in 1976, as part of the A. P. Moller cadetship programme. I joined at La Spezia and after three weeks of training and rigging the vessel we finally went to sea. We were going on a six month voyage that would end up in the USA via a number of Caribbean islands, and we partook of the festivities and celebrations for the US bicentennial. I felt like Columbus must have done, with so much excitement and so many unknown adventures. It was the greatest experience of my life.
2. Throughout your career, who, or what, has had the most influence on you, and why?
During my time as a junior officer I sailed with a few Captains who are now long gone. Their leadership and management styles were such that it all very much took root with me, and a lot of what I do today comes from that. They were old school guys, but really ahead of their time as they brought in new ideas on how to run a ship. And then of course MMM, whom I was fortunate to meet on a few occasions. He was a beacon of leadership, and he was hard to follow.
3. In your maritime life, what was the worst mistake that you ever made?
I have been fortunate to go through most of my life at sea without any serious accidents, but I have made mistakes, many.
One that I recall was when I was called to join a Chinese vessel called the “FLY EAGLE”, as Supercargo. This was a Hong Kong-owned vessel on charter to Maersk Tankers and had a deadweight of around 110,000 tonnes. One of the problems that I had to look into was that she always left any loadport with about 3,000 tonnes of ballast water. After loading a full cargo of Jet Fuel in Kuwait we proceeded to Karachi for discharge. One day out from Kuwait we decided to enter one of the ballast tanks and check how much water there was, and have a look at the piping system. The crew prepared the tank for safe entry and at the entrance hatch a discussion began between the Chief Officer, the Bosun and other crew. This went on for some time, and at some point I lost patience, took a flashlight from the Bosun, bypassed the Chief Officer and went into the tank.
There was a lot of water, which was warm, but I continued down into it, and when my feet touched the bottom plates the water was up to my head. I went forward into the double bottom, looking for the bell mouth, and then came to the ballast pipe, which was half submerged. I dived under the pipe and came up on the other side, where I stopped and waited for the Chief Officer. He was following me and I could hear his breathing, which was very short and fast. “Where are you?” he called out, in a stuttering voice. “Here”, I said, and shone my flashlight at him. He then dived under the ballast pipe and came up next to me, spluttering and flailing his arms. It was only then that I realised that he was scared.
It turned out that he couldn’t swim and had been afraid to go into the tank, but I had gone down and to avoid a major loss of face in front of the entire deck crew he had had to follow me. I had put him in an impossible situation. That was my mistake. I should have thought things through and waited for his decision before barging ahead. He did forgive me, later on, though.
4. What are the biggest changes that you have seen since you started sailing?
Communication, without doubt. When I began sailing the Radio Officer would receive a telegram for the Captain maybe every second day. We were all very curious as to what would happen and rumours soon began floating around the vessel.
Today you easily get 15-20 emails every day, and it can be as many as 50 on a bad Friday. A lot is just for the Captain, who is being copied in, including on non important subjects. Everybody wants to know everything NOW. This is the way of the world nowadays.
5. What is the most important change that should be made to a modern seafarer’s existence?
It seems that in some parts the terms on which seafarers are employed are getting less and less favourable to them. The contracts are getting longer and the pay less. I have sailed with junior officers who have said they don’t want promotion because the new contract terms that come with it are less favourable. To me that is going the wrong way. If we want to be a top quality industry we should be able to provide top quality sailors, and that will not happen if people are treated in such a counterproductive and also disrespectful manner. Our People, Mr. Moller once said, but in some places that core value seems to have been forgotten.
6. What are your thoughts on women seafarers?
I have always welcomed women being on board, and I will say right away that I have often found that a female officer or cadet works harder than a male one. Sometimes that is just due to individual factors, but it can also be a reflection of where, to some extent, we still are, in that women on board ship maybe still feel that they have to do, and prove, more than their male counterparts. Another difference that I have seen is that men seem overall to behave better, and also seem more fastidious about their appearance, when women are around.
On a more serious level, hopefully in wider society things have changed for the better in recent years, in view of evolving attitudes, and also with awareness campaigns like the MeToo movement. However, a recent survey that still revealed alarming numbers and thus the continuing sad facts about sexism and harassment is very disconcerting. I would like to think that our industry can take a strong lead in showing what fair treatment and proper behaviour look like. Most certainly if a woman on board my ship felt even the slightest hint of any kind of misbehaviour I would want to know immediately so that it could be dealt with, and of course the same will apply fleetwide and also ashore.
I have always tried to look past gender and relate to people according to role and rank. So it should be automatic, and not even need conscious thought, that ”XYZ is (say) the Chief Officer of this vessel, and whether XYZ is male or female doesn’t matter and just doesn’t come into it.”
It is as simple as that.
7. What are the risks and benefits of autonomous cargo ships, and do you think that some day all vessels will be crewless?
I don’t believe that all vessels will be crewless, ever, if only because there are too many individual shipowners, and some will always try to build or run the cheapest version of a ship. And things do go wrong from time to time, and you will always need human beings on board as there are some things that need hands rather than microchips and minds rather than machines.
8. What are your plans for retirement and what will you miss most?
I don’t plan to retire for the next couple of years. I love what I do. I think it is the greatest job in the world. I have done it for almost 50 years and have never regretted a day. I always miss the sea when I’m home. I am a sailor, and the sea has always been and will always be a part of me.
9. What advice would you give to anyone considering a career at sea?
I would simply say just go for it. Build your own career and seek your own adventures. It is up to you.
When I was a cadet the older hands were always talking about how the good old days were gone. Life was hard and the future was bleak. As I grew older I realised that my life was what I made of it. I have had adventures and experiences that I still talk of today. I have had a good life, and any new cadet joining a vessel for the first time has a chance to have exactly the same.
10. Do you have any final thoughts to share with us?
Aretha Franklin spelt it out in her 1967 hit – R E S P E C T.
I often think that we should all be better at respecting each other – in . showing and giving respect. I have always endeavoured to treat all crew members with respect. I have given the same kind of attention to the steward as to the Chief Engineer.
The funny thing about respect is that it can be a very fleeting thing, and you cannot demand it. If you feel you have to shout ”I am the Captain. I demand that you respect me”, you have already lost the very thing you are seeking. You have to earn it. It shows itself in many tiny details, between the lines, and in the manner in which we address each other and speak together. It has nothing to do with cultural differences or perceived power or status. It is simply respect. If we all behave in a respectful way, we go a long way to being a happy ship.