First woman to command a PLO vessel: Beata Knazovicova takes the helm of Port Gdynia

At the end of August 2025, Beata Knazovicova will assume command of the container vessel Port Gdynia, operated by Polish Ocean Lines SA (PLO). She will be the first woman in the company’s history to captain a ship sailing under the Gdynia-based operator’s flag.

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14 august 2025   |   20:28   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Oskar Wojciechowski   |   Print

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Originally from Slovakia, Knazovicova graduated from Gdynia Maritime University (formerly the Maritime Academy). She began her seagoing career in 2010 aboard the PLO vessel Włocławek, first as a deck cadet and later as third officer. At the time, the ship was on charter to the Canadian military, stationed in Montreal, and engaged in anti-piracy exercises. Following the end of this charter, Włocławek was operated by an American transport company on routes linking Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean, Brazil, and Colombia, before being scrapped in India.

Between 2013 and 2018, Knazovicova served on Port Gdynia as second and first officer, returning to the vessel in 2022. Her experience also includes service on cruise ships and 80-metre commercial yachts.

The Port Gdynia is owned by Aranda Sp. z o.o., part of the ARP Group, and has sailed under the Maltese flag since 2011. The vessel was built at Stocznia Szczecińska Nowa and completed at Stocznia Remontowa Gryfia SA, becoming the last container ship constructed in Szczecin. Since entering service in June 2011, it has been managed by PLO. In 2017, it entered service for CMA CGM, currently operating on a route between Spain and West Africa.

The vessel has a capacity of 3,091 TEU, a length of 222.5 m, a beam of 32.2 m, and a draft of 12.15 m. It is equipped with three Liebherr deck cranes, each with a lifting capacity of 40 tonnes, and holds certifications allowing it to call at all shipping zones except ice-bound waters.

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