Gdynia Maritime Office: Captain of research vessel "Oceania" lacks proper qualifications

Following a scheduled inspection of the research vessel Oceania, the Gdynia Maritime Office found that the crew member occupying the position of captain does not hold the required qualifications. In April, the vessel remained moored at the quay in Nowy Port, Gdańsk.

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28 april 2025   |   11:04   |   Source: PAP / Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

fot. Kajetan Deja / Instytut Oceanologii PAN

In mid-April, at the request of the vessel’s operator, the Flag State Inspection Department of the Gdynia Maritime Office conducted a periodic inspection of Oceania to validate its Safety Certificate.

According to Agnieszka Robakowska, assistant to the Director of the Gdynia Maritime Office, inspection of the crew's documents revealed insufficient qualifications to permit the vessel to put to sea.

- The operator’s representative was informed accordingly. It was also found that the Safety Certificate did not account for amendments introduced by the Regulation on Qualifications and Training of Crews of Commercial Yachts from March 7, 2018. Consequently, the existing Certificate was annulled, and a new, updated Safety Certificate reflecting the 2018 changes was issued - she reported.

She explained that the Safety Certificate is issued for five years, with its validity confirmed annually.

Professor Jan Marcin Węsławski, Director of the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IO PAN), stated that the updated Safety Certificate introduced a new requirement for captain’s qualifications - higher than previously mandated and higher than for similar vessels such as Pogoria or Zaruski.

- None of the previous captains sailing Oceania held such qualifications because they did not need to - he added.

Now we are hiring a captain as if for an aircraft carrier - he emphasized, assuring that a suitable candidate has already been found. He also noted plans to discuss the reasons for such treatment of the vessel with the Gdynia Maritime Office.

Magdalena Kierzkowska, spokesperson for the Gdynia Maritime Office, explained that during the inspection, conducted at the request of the operator, it was agreed with the operator’s representative that the Safety Certificate needed to be updated to comply with current regulations.

She added that given the nature of Oceania as a sport-research vessel with a gross tonnage of 370 GT, the updated Certificate stipulates that the captain must hold a yacht master's license for vessels up to 500 GT.

- When verifying the crew’s qualifications, it was found that the individual serving as captain did not possess the required diploma (for vessels up to 500 GT). However, this does not preclude the individual from serving as a watch officer, as also indicated in the Safety Certificate - Kierzkowska said.

She noted that the updated Certificate, like the previous one, includes a list of alternative qualifications for crew members (in accordance with Article 68 of the Maritime Safety Act), where a diploma for captains of vessels between 500 and 3000 GT allows for serving as captain of Oceania, provided that basic sailing knowledge training is completed, due to the auxiliary sailing propulsion.

- Analyzing the crew structure during the inspection of Oceania, it can be concluded that only the captain’s position must be filled by an individual with the appropriate qualifications, in accordance with the regulation on crew qualification and training - she added.

Professor Węsławski emphasized that Oceania is not a commercial yacht but is registered as a "sport-scientific yacht" and does not conduct commercial activities, thus the regulations referenced by the office regarding commercial yachts do not apply.

- This is a very important distinction, as for years we have stayed away from commerce, business, and paid services. We operate solely on a governmental research grant - and therefore we were able to sail under regulations for such specialized vessels - he stressed.

He added that Captain Maciej Zaraziński, one of Poland’s most experienced polar captains, who had commanded many Arctic expeditions aboard Oceania, suddenly is no longer eligible to serve as captain.

Węsławski reported that a fully recruited crew is ready to sail, but the vessel remains docked in Nowy Port, Gdańsk.

- Until mid-May, a series of short Baltic cruises was planned, which could be flexibly adjusted. From mid-May, we must start oceanic voyages within the framework of international scientific cooperation - he added.

Oceania is a sailing research vessel owned by the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, built in 1985 at the Gdańsk Shipyard. The IO PAN is Poland’s largest marine research institute, focusing on physical, chemical, biological, and ecological studies of the seas. The vessel has unlimited operational range and a 30-day autonomy. It has undertaken research expeditions in the Arctic and numerous Baltic voyages.

At the end of January this year, the vessel’s crew members received termination notices. In a letter sent to the Institute's employee unions, Professor Węsławski explained that the dismissal affected 13 employees and was due to - organizational restructuring of the employer, resulting in the elimination of positions -.

He stated that the decision was driven by the need to change the financial management policy and reduce costs, including by downsizing staff.

The Institute offered dismissed employees B2B contracts - through sole proprietorships.

Professor Węsławski wrote that the dismissed employees were primarily serving aboard the research vessel Oceania, maintained through ministry grants earmarked for research equipment operations. He noted that the Institute had applied for more than PLN 30 million in funding, including PLN 12 million for salaries over three years, but only PLN 24 million was awarded.

- With this level of funding, the vessel, which used to be at sea for 180-200 days per year, will now be operational for about 110 days. Hence, the radical measures to cut costs, including terminating employment contracts, are necessary and justified - he wrote.

In April, due to the lack of a qualified crew among other factors, Oceania missed all three planned voyages. The first was scheduled for April 1-9, the second for April 11-14, and the third for April 22-30. The next voyage is scheduled to start on May 6.

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statek oceania urząd morski gdynia kwalifikacje kapitana inspekcja statku instytut oceanologii PAN

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