The life of a sailor
Meet some of the Namibian crew members who brought Debmarine Namibia's N$7 billion diamond recovery vessel to African waters.
Augetto Graig
The life of a sailor is not for everyone, but those who have chosen this vocation are passionate about it, especially the proud members of the crew of the latest, biggest, most advanced diamond recovery vessel in the world. Soon to be officially named, the Additional Mining Vessel (AMV3), as it is temporarily known, is Debmarine Namibia's pride and joy currently being outfitted for its mission in Cape Town, after completing its maiden voyage from the Damen shipyards in Romania where it was custom-built to the tune of some N$7 billion.
Chief navigation officer Johanna Temba-Kafe remembers the recently completed maiden voyage fondly.
“It has been an exciting journey so far, especially knowing that ships normally carry cargo around the world, but in the case of the AMV3, she was the N$7 billion cargo that we had to deliver to the owner. She is a ship of special design and unique construction, therefore it was our responsibility to deliver her intact,” she said.
“I had many memories of sailing for a month from Romania to the Port of Cape Town, but what stood out for me was the occasion of crossing the equator. For us as young sailors, it was a phenomenal experience that I will not forget. We were initiated by 'King Neptune – the King of Sea'. This was the ceremony that was created as a test by seasoned sailors to ensure young sailors are capable of handling long rough times at sea,” she recalled.
“I would also like to thank the Master and the crew of the AMV3 for making my experience on board memorable. The team spirit made the ship the place we all want to be,” she said.
Another member of the bridge crew is Second Navigation Officer Loide Negongo, who gets excited when talking about the trip from Europe to Africa.
“I was a member and a part of the crew who went to Romania to go and get the AMV3 to Africa. The experience was very exciting as we had to navigate and sail through very interesting places like the Strait of Gibraltar.
“My message is that this is not only for Debmarine Namibia but for all Namibians, and to boost our economy in a significant way,” she said.
On the expansive decks of the brand new vessel, Bosun Jaco Hiiko, who supervises the work of up to five deckhands, said he also had a good voyage.
“The sea was not that rough. For more than 25 days of sailing, we had no problems, which is very good for a new ship. The equipment is good and very reliable,” he said.
“I was often the watchkeeper. It was fun coming on watch from 04:00 to 08:00 and doing my part to make sure that we sailed safely through the night. I was always interested in sailing and am glad to contribute to this product. It was a very good experience and Debmarine Namibia has opened a lot of doors for me.
“I also learnt how to work with different people from all over Namibia. I took this opportunity with both hands and put in the effort and, look, here I am,” he said.
Originally from Okakarara, Hiiko now lives in Swakopmund with his fiance and six-year-old daughter, who last saw him months ago. “They have been waiting for me since August, but I will be home in November,” he said with a smile.
Ocean Ambassadors
“I have been on the ocean so long that it has become part of me, and I now consider myself a responsible environment ambassador. I make certain no oil ever spills overboard because I know the impact it has on sea life,” he added.
Hiko will need to spend a lot more time at sea before he can match the experience of third engineering officer Hafeni Kandume, who has spent 21 years on open waters. Kandume joined Debmarine Namibia after a lifetime in maritime service because he loves new challenges, “and the opportunities they bring to one's life”.
“A marine engineer's career is like many different industries combined into one, and it is full of challenges as one has to stay abreast of the latest technologies, which are ever evolving,” he said.
The married father of two said it is a privilege to work on a Debmarine Namibia ship where crew members spend 'only' 35 days onboard and 35 days off. Having been a seaman since the age of 20, Kandume mentioned that before, he would be away for up to four months at a time.
“I was part of the delivery crew who went to Romania. We were a group entrusted with this big investment. We applied team work to aquire knowledge of the ship , to accept it and to take ownership of the vessel. We all fit in together as a nice puzzle, and we know the trust the company has placed in us and the expectations at home. I was proud to be running the flag on behalf of everyone in Namibia,” he said.
Kandume encouraged especially young Namibians to get acquanted with seagoing careers “so that the company can have a bigger pool to hire from”.
One specialised seagoing job is that of an automation and instrumentation technician like Georian Dwayne de Waal, who describes it as having everything to do with “industrial automation of anything electronic, including flow sensing of levels, pressure and temperature, up to IT. Basically the infrastructure of the ship,” he said.
“At first, when I applied, I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” said the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology graduate.
“Onboard I noticed all this funny-looking equipment and the incredible recovery instrumentation on the crawler. Once I got the hang of it, I realised I had made the right decision,” he said.
Known to all aboard simply as Dwayne, De Waal first dreamt of working for Debmarine Namibia when he was in grade 11 in 2009.
“My favourite memory is 25 November last year, when the email came about who was going to go fetch the AMV3. When I looked through the list of employees and saw my name, it was a very exciting moment. Finally my hard work has paid off, I thought. I was excited to experience new technologies on a new ship, the biggest recovery vessel in the world, and brand new,” he said.
“Sailing back was definitely different,” he said of the vessel's maiden voyage.
“It was the first time I got to see the world. Before, I never went beyond South Africa, and this was an opportunity I got from the company. There was a lot of fear, going through airports and in transit, especially with Covid 19. The journey from Namibia to Romania was scary,” he recalled. That emotion soon became excitement which culminated in crossing the equator and his traditional baptism as a seagoing sailor.
“I get along great with the crew, who are people of different backgrounds, tribes and characters, but they showed me that with teamwork you can reach success. We share knowledge and experiences and it's just amazing, especially for new employees who have never worked on a ship before. The ship is a unit and everybody knows what they are supposed to do,” he said. #AMV3
- [email protected]
Positions:
Chief Navigating officer
Serves directly below the Master of the vessel and leads the deck department's maintenance and safety while ensuring safe navigation, positioning the vessel for recovery, communications, radar and weather monitoring.
?
Bosun
Supervises and does maintenance and operations of the deck department from mooring and berthing to rigging of heavy equipment, loading stores, fuel and fresh water, flight deck activities to boat launching and recovery and hull and deck maintenance.
?
Technician
Facilitates planning, installation, commissioning and maintenance of production equipment, and ensures that control, instrumentation, communication, navigation, security, IT, marine, sub-sea systems, survey, positioning and engineering systems are always available.
?
Third Engineering Officer
Keeps watch over the engine room personnel, systems, materials and supplies, maintenance and repairs, while reporting to and supporting the Second Engineering Officer.
?
Second Navigating Officer
Monitors and controls radar, radio communications, weather, traffic, helicopter operations, recovery and other vessel operations, updates charts, log books and muster lists while reporting to the Chief Navigation Officer.
The life of a sailor is not for everyone, but those who have chosen this vocation are passionate about it, especially the proud members of the crew of the latest, biggest, most advanced diamond recovery vessel in the world. Soon to be officially named, the Additional Mining Vessel (AMV3), as it is temporarily known, is Debmarine Namibia's pride and joy currently being outfitted for its mission in Cape Town, after completing its maiden voyage from the Damen shipyards in Romania where it was custom-built to the tune of some N$7 billion.
Chief navigation officer Johanna Temba-Kafe remembers the recently completed maiden voyage fondly.
“It has been an exciting journey so far, especially knowing that ships normally carry cargo around the world, but in the case of the AMV3, she was the N$7 billion cargo that we had to deliver to the owner. She is a ship of special design and unique construction, therefore it was our responsibility to deliver her intact,” she said.
“I had many memories of sailing for a month from Romania to the Port of Cape Town, but what stood out for me was the occasion of crossing the equator. For us as young sailors, it was a phenomenal experience that I will not forget. We were initiated by 'King Neptune – the King of Sea'. This was the ceremony that was created as a test by seasoned sailors to ensure young sailors are capable of handling long rough times at sea,” she recalled.
“I would also like to thank the Master and the crew of the AMV3 for making my experience on board memorable. The team spirit made the ship the place we all want to be,” she said.
Another member of the bridge crew is Second Navigation Officer Loide Negongo, who gets excited when talking about the trip from Europe to Africa.
“I was a member and a part of the crew who went to Romania to go and get the AMV3 to Africa. The experience was very exciting as we had to navigate and sail through very interesting places like the Strait of Gibraltar.
“My message is that this is not only for Debmarine Namibia but for all Namibians, and to boost our economy in a significant way,” she said.
On the expansive decks of the brand new vessel, Bosun Jaco Hiiko, who supervises the work of up to five deckhands, said he also had a good voyage.
“The sea was not that rough. For more than 25 days of sailing, we had no problems, which is very good for a new ship. The equipment is good and very reliable,” he said.
“I was often the watchkeeper. It was fun coming on watch from 04:00 to 08:00 and doing my part to make sure that we sailed safely through the night. I was always interested in sailing and am glad to contribute to this product. It was a very good experience and Debmarine Namibia has opened a lot of doors for me.
“I also learnt how to work with different people from all over Namibia. I took this opportunity with both hands and put in the effort and, look, here I am,” he said.
Originally from Okakarara, Hiiko now lives in Swakopmund with his fiance and six-year-old daughter, who last saw him months ago. “They have been waiting for me since August, but I will be home in November,” he said with a smile.
Ocean Ambassadors
“I have been on the ocean so long that it has become part of me, and I now consider myself a responsible environment ambassador. I make certain no oil ever spills overboard because I know the impact it has on sea life,” he added.
Hiko will need to spend a lot more time at sea before he can match the experience of third engineering officer Hafeni Kandume, who has spent 21 years on open waters. Kandume joined Debmarine Namibia after a lifetime in maritime service because he loves new challenges, “and the opportunities they bring to one's life”.
“A marine engineer's career is like many different industries combined into one, and it is full of challenges as one has to stay abreast of the latest technologies, which are ever evolving,” he said.
The married father of two said it is a privilege to work on a Debmarine Namibia ship where crew members spend 'only' 35 days onboard and 35 days off. Having been a seaman since the age of 20, Kandume mentioned that before, he would be away for up to four months at a time.
“I was part of the delivery crew who went to Romania. We were a group entrusted with this big investment. We applied team work to aquire knowledge of the ship , to accept it and to take ownership of the vessel. We all fit in together as a nice puzzle, and we know the trust the company has placed in us and the expectations at home. I was proud to be running the flag on behalf of everyone in Namibia,” he said.
Kandume encouraged especially young Namibians to get acquanted with seagoing careers “so that the company can have a bigger pool to hire from”.
One specialised seagoing job is that of an automation and instrumentation technician like Georian Dwayne de Waal, who describes it as having everything to do with “industrial automation of anything electronic, including flow sensing of levels, pressure and temperature, up to IT. Basically the infrastructure of the ship,” he said.
“At first, when I applied, I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” said the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology graduate.
“Onboard I noticed all this funny-looking equipment and the incredible recovery instrumentation on the crawler. Once I got the hang of it, I realised I had made the right decision,” he said.
Known to all aboard simply as Dwayne, De Waal first dreamt of working for Debmarine Namibia when he was in grade 11 in 2009.
“My favourite memory is 25 November last year, when the email came about who was going to go fetch the AMV3. When I looked through the list of employees and saw my name, it was a very exciting moment. Finally my hard work has paid off, I thought. I was excited to experience new technologies on a new ship, the biggest recovery vessel in the world, and brand new,” he said.
“Sailing back was definitely different,” he said of the vessel's maiden voyage.
“It was the first time I got to see the world. Before, I never went beyond South Africa, and this was an opportunity I got from the company. There was a lot of fear, going through airports and in transit, especially with Covid 19. The journey from Namibia to Romania was scary,” he recalled. That emotion soon became excitement which culminated in crossing the equator and his traditional baptism as a seagoing sailor.
“I get along great with the crew, who are people of different backgrounds, tribes and characters, but they showed me that with teamwork you can reach success. We share knowledge and experiences and it's just amazing, especially for new employees who have never worked on a ship before. The ship is a unit and everybody knows what they are supposed to do,” he said. #AMV3
- [email protected]
Positions:
Chief Navigating officer
Serves directly below the Master of the vessel and leads the deck department's maintenance and safety while ensuring safe navigation, positioning the vessel for recovery, communications, radar and weather monitoring.
?
Bosun
Supervises and does maintenance and operations of the deck department from mooring and berthing to rigging of heavy equipment, loading stores, fuel and fresh water, flight deck activities to boat launching and recovery and hull and deck maintenance.
?
Technician
Facilitates planning, installation, commissioning and maintenance of production equipment, and ensures that control, instrumentation, communication, navigation, security, IT, marine, sub-sea systems, survey, positioning and engineering systems are always available.
?
Third Engineering Officer
Keeps watch over the engine room personnel, systems, materials and supplies, maintenance and repairs, while reporting to and supporting the Second Engineering Officer.
?
Second Navigating Officer
Monitors and controls radar, radio communications, weather, traffic, helicopter operations, recovery and other vessel operations, updates charts, log books and muster lists while reporting to the Chief Navigation Officer.
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