NO. 12 AUTUMN 2021 Magazine for maritime industry and sea lovers
WHAT'S INSIDE...
4 The new standard in packaging 6 Stability 8 MAEM after hours 12 Holidays with MAEM 14 Product range 16 Sculpture competition 20 Harbour cities. Sea of attractions 23 Sailing across the pacific II
THE NEW STANDARD IN PACKAGING The hallmark of a manufacturing company is not only the high quality of its products but also the way they are packaged and prepared for transport. Repeatability and accuracy in these three aspects requires not only great organization and workload but also constant monitoring. The final effect of brand perception can only be achieved if each of the above factors is at the highest level. Only by closely monitoring each of the processes we outlined can we develop, but also maintain, the highest standards. Thanks to a personalized ERP solution, as well as the introduction of a barcode system and scanners to handle them, we are able to describe every step of the way that the tiniest item travels - from the raw material stage to the product sent to the customer - with pinpoint accuracy. Monitoring of purchasing and production processes was the
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subject of an article in the 7th edition of M Magazine (you can find it on our website). Recently, we have focused on a solution that closes the last part of the process of monitoring the path through the plant of products manufactured by MAEM. Order preparation stations in the logistics and warehouse management department were equipped with cameras. Thanks to the installed solution we were able to verify the correctness of the preparation of each single order, which leaves the MAEM warehouse and goes to the customer. The applied IT system makes the recordings of the packing process available for a long time, after it has been delivered to the address indicated by the customer. We are able to replay or share the recording at any time if the situation requires clarification or additional verification. Repeatability in adhering to the standards set by MAEM makes impeccably
prepared orders shipped around the world the pride of our organization. Monitoring ensures that we can see exactly what products have been packed, and make sure that all necessary markings and documents are always exactly in place. Our partners are assured that they have undoubtedly received the goods they ordered, and MAEM is assured of maintaining the highest standards of order preparation as defined by ISO 9001 standards. We will soon present a new line of MAEM packaging. We are at the final stage of this project. We hope that the effect will surprise even the most demanding customers.
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STABILITY We strive to be able to feel stable and secure. Savings, pension funds, insurance - we do our best, believing that when worse times come, we will not be left out in the cold. The events of the last two years have clearly proven that nothing is certain and the world does not guarantee anything that lasts forever. None of us expected that the things around us, defined as commonplace, would suddenly become a privilege, and that is exactly what happened... The crisis has also shaken the global economy, further demonstrating how interdependent its components are. The collapse of one element of a chain shatters its integral whole and causes the other element s dependent on it to s top functioning as well. The most striking example of economic interdependence in global terms is the shortage of goods in Europe caused by pandemic production cuts in Asia, or the delivery delays associated with the recent blockade of the Suez Canal. Few would have
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thought to see empty supermarket shelves these days. In order to ensure safety, even in unpredictable situations, it is crucial to select business partners who guarantee continuity of supply. This applies both to production companies, such as MAEM, but also to end users of manufactured spare parts. MAEM, thanks to its restrictive supplier selection policy, has proved to be a stable partner for its contractors. By basing our purchasing policy on local suppliers and long-term contracts, we have managed to survive the most difficult period of the pandemic collapse almost unscathed. During the most difficult time of the collapse, we managed to help hundreds of vessels that were being serviced on a daily basis by our competitors. Stability cannot be bought. It is the result of deliberate actions and cons i s tent adherence to e s tab li s he d principles.
PRECISION IN E VERY DE TAIL
M A E M . M A N U FA C T U R E R F O R
O F
S PA R E
D E M A N D I N G
PA R T S
C U S T O M E R S
W W W . M A E M . C O M
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MAEM AFTER HOURS Joanna - Human Resources and Communication Specialist
A simple calculation shows that a person between the ages of 20 and 65, working forty hours a week on work duties, is just spending more than 10 years of his life on work during that time. One third of the day of the working week is spent performing work duties. Where do we get the strength and motivation to derive, above all, satisfaction and contentment from work? Let's focus on the well-known slogan: ‘Man does not live by work alone’. We invite you to a series of articles in which selected MAEM employees will show us their passions and unique interests. In the upcoming issues of M Magazine we will present MAEM employees who will talk about their work and share their hobbies. The charac ter of the second ar ticle in this series is Joanna, an HR and Communications Specialist. Joanna is responsible for talent hunting, which then builds the team of MAEM employees. She receives all applications sent to us directly or through other recruitment portals. Selected candidates have an opportunity to meet Joanna during a job interview, the best ones - in the kitchen or in the company's corridors. Every year we receive about 1 200 applications, 60 selected candidates have met Joanna for a job interview. Last year 21 successful candidates joined MAEM and became proud employees of the company. In her free time Joanna devotes herself to horse-riding and makes wreaths from elements found in the forest or on a meadow. K: Joanna, you have two passions, at first glance they don't have much in common. Am I wrong?
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J: Perhaps at first glance, not much indeed, but there will certainly be points in common. What both have in common is the need for contact with nature and tranquility. Both, in the company of horses and in the forest, I regain peace. It happens that while walking on horseback somewhere in the countryside, I get off the horse just because I saw a pinecone out of the corner of my eye, which for sure is the most beautiful in the whole forest and which will later hang on a garland. Then, the horse carries not only me but also pockets of the cap filled to the brim with sticks, pieces of bark or other forest treasures. I am irreformable in this matter... K: Where did your interest in horse riding and handicrafts come from? Why these activities? J: ‘The greatest happiness in the world lies on a horse's back,’ - as they say. Horses have been in the family for as long as I can remember. They helped in farm work and were the main means of transportation in a small village near Lublin. I spent my childhood there with my beloved Grandmother and Grandfather. Horses were especially important to Grandfather. And G r a n d f a t h e r to m e . O f te n i n o u r
house there were horses which were sick, beaten, in need of help, to which Grandfather could not be indifferent. He bought them back, treated them, took care of them as well as he could. And he loved them very much. He loved them so much, that despite the fact that one of them made him lose the use of his hands by hitting a hoof, he didn't even want to hear that he was going to give one of them back. I remember trips with Grandfather to the field, when he would put a proud three year old on a horse's back, who, holding onto the mane, believed that she was in command of this great ship. And so it began. Horses are expensive ‘fun.’ My parents could not afford for me to go to the stud in the city. I didn't want to go to the stud myself because the ‘city’ horses seemed to me unhappy - in a small area, closed in boxes... Grandfather unexpectedly passed away and the horses had to be given away... I promised myself then that when I will be big and have my own money, I will learn to ride. And that's how it happened. I learned together with six-year-old children. I was 25 at the time... It was fun, but the goal was more important. And it worked. Today, I put my few year old nieces on a horse myself. And the garlands? I'm a cruel hoarder. Some
people go mushroom picking in the woods, I bring out a basket of pinecones, small logs and anything else that is ‘sure to come in handy.’ This, thankfully, is my only tendency to collect. I see a second life in everything I find in the woods, on the beach, on mountain paths - such is my immediate recycling mindset. I joke, of course, but actually in my ‘works’ nature plays first fiddle. I concentrate on them then, I compose and this also gives me peace. If at the end it turns out that someone likes it? It is a reason to smile. I like manual work, I have also studied photography, so some additional kind of art. I enjoy nice things, respecting aesthetics - also in the sense of art history. K: Do you find the analogy of what you do at work to your passions? The rider and his horse form a team whose functioning is based on boundless mutual trust. Doesn't the success of the team here depend on the right fit between its members? J: Sure. Horses teach respect in interaction. Understanding. And not to hump. You can't move a horse if you don't cooperate with him, if you force him to do something. And in addition - there is no place for forceful pushing.
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this year. It would be unfortunate to compare cones to candidates so I can justify myself by saying that conducting recruitment processes brings me just as much satisfaction. People interest me. I enjoy talking to them, which is why it sometimes happens that job interviews are unlike any other that I, as a candidate, have ever had the opportunity to participate in. I try to make sure that there is no additional stress during them. It makes conversations nicer for both parties. And definitely much more valuable. Not only in terms of content but mainly in terms of fitting into the team. I know what kind of a whole we create. What ‘vibe’ our company has. Always at the end of the day I ask myself if this candidate, although technically he did a great job, will fit in, will he find himself? Will we be able and willing to work with him? And sometimes these are not simple questions, and easy choices, because I often have the pleasure to meet very interesting, unconventional people, which I happen to remember for a long time. K: Describing in one sentence the creation of garlands - first you have to find the right elements to be able to create something beautiful from them. In my opinion, this is how you create aligned and strong teams in organizations. J: Exactly right. The whole is not a stand-alone thing. It is only and as far as the sum of matching elements. K: I think the question about the intersection of what you do in your personal time and your work time is behind us. Because although a rider can have a whip, a horse has many more opportunities to hurt a human. And it is priceless to know that even though he can, he won't do it. And that's what trust is. You have to teach each other - learn to listen, understand and communicate. A horse is not a bicycle that you get on and ride. Some are more comfortable, others less, but the pattern is the same. It won't work here. You have to come to an understanding with this big animal. It has to want to get along with you. Just like in a team - we will not achieve anything, we will not get anywhere, if everyone will go his own way. It is better to work in a group that likes, supports and respects each other. One that talks and listens to each other. This does not have to be an idyllic vision that is impossible to achieve. You just have to 10 | Autumn 2021 | MAEM. I like it
see a little more in a person than the fact whether he or she competently fits the project or task. K: Garlands. It's intertwined parts in an artistic way. Again, we have selection, choice, ensemble... J: Artistry in its pure form. Starting today, I'm going to start looking at the recruiting process as an even more creative act than I originally thought. As I mentioned, I'm bringing home a lot of elements that I promise to use - now, and certainly 'someday'. And I don't reject them because they're bad. Just sometimes something else fits better at that moment. It's often hard to say why exactly this stick today was lucky enough to find itself on a garland, decorating yet another seasonal ornament
J: I think that even in a fairly extensive edition. K : I t s e e m s to m e t h a t t h e b e s t employees are those who take the skills they learn from their passion and apply them to their professional lives. You are one such person and don't tell me I'm wrong. J: I think I am, certainly. The question is, is it consciously? It seems to me that if something is important to you, if it is natural, it becomes part of you. And wherever you are at that time - whether at work or in any other environment - you take those qualities with you because they are already simply a part of you. It's definitely worth asking yourself sometimes, have I always been like this? And I can confidently answer that
I have not. Horses have taught me to have more self-control, to control stress, to think about possible consequences - what can happen if... They constantly help me learn from others and respect different points of view. I use all of this in my work. K: What does success in pursuing your passions mean to you? When do you feel fulfilled in what you do? J: I don't quite like the word passion. I feel it can be an abuse - at least in my case. Horses are a very important part of my life but they are not the core of it. I still have to wait for that. Just like my cabin in the mountains. Since I live in Cracow, I miss the contact with those
with whom I used to spend time on this ‘horse love’. Because for me a horse is a friend. Just like the people I choose to share this time with. That's why I don't ride in studs, I don't treat horses like a sport. When do I feel that everything is in its right place? When I manage to go off-road, aiming for the sunset. When I look at the horses that we let out into the meadow. At their joy. When I can walk unnoticed through a herd of deer that stand quietly, registering only another large cloven-hoofed. When Mom proudly hangs another garland in front of the neighbors and says ‘Asia made such a pretty one’. I know it sounds melancholy but that's what it's all for - for peace and gathering thoughts.
K : So it is vain to look for Joanna at equestrian competitions or ar t competitions? J: Definitely. It's totally not my world. Funnily enough, I am a photographer. Not just by part of my training, but also by passion. And I hardly ever have pictures of horses or garlands. It's so ‘me’ to me that I don't feel the need to capture it. I have made an exception for you. K: Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your interests. Good luck in developing them.
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HOLIDAYS WITH MAEM Autumn has settled for good in our part of Europe. With all the more pleasure we return to the memories of moments spent in the warm summer sunshine. Holidays are a time of rest, regeneration, a moment to break away from everyday life. During the vacation break we can indulge in blissful carelessness, leaving the procedures, rules and principles according to which we function every day behind the door of the organization we create. For some people this period is a moment of complete detachment and forgetting about work, and for others, it is a time when we can look at it from a distance, drawing conclusions and taking a fresh look at our responsibilities.
Przemysław | Research and Development Department
For those who decided to find at least some time for MAEM during the rest, as every year, we prepared a vacation game - Take MAEM on holidays. Take MAEM on holidays is a photo contest that consists in taking a photo with an occasional gift received by all employees - namely, an ecological linen bag with our company logo. Our employees, equipped with MAEM bags, appeared in many attractive places in Europe during their holiday trips. Have you been to any of them? Or maybe our photos will inspire you to travel? Take a look at a few of our selected MAEM holiday photos.
Joanna | Business Relations and Communication Department
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Błażej | Quality Control Department
Ewa | IT Department
Tomasz | IT Department
Paulina | Management Systems Department
Klaudia | Marketing Department
Ewa | Business Relations and Communication Department
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PRODUCT RANGE
NEW SOLUTIONS Alternative spare parts for Kral pumps (K) Alternative spare parts for Desmi pumps (NSL, MODULAR S) Alternative spare parts for Alfa Laval pumps (ALP – sizes 15-85)
At MAEM, we strive to provide our customers with the highest quality marine solutions. We have built our whole business on this concept and since the beginning we have continued to seek ways to improve every product that we manufacture. In order to achieve this goal, we have developed our unique reverse engineering method which relies on duplicating in 1:1 ratio the more durable machine component that works identically to the original. Nowadays, our production plant, which employs around 120 people, provides about 10,000 different, totally interchangeable, alternative spare parts and complete marine solutions which are shipped worldwide. We are confident about the quality and functionality of them, but for our customers’ convenience, each of them is covered by warranty. Choosing MAEM solutions, you will definitely get The Smart Value.
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STANDARD SOLUTIONS Alternative spare parts for Alfa Laval & Westfalia separators Plug and play separators
Alternative spare parts for Nirex fresh water generators including plates and gaskets
Reconditioned separator bowls
Alternative spare parts for IMO pumps (ACD, ACE, ACP, ACG, LPD, LPE, ACF) and Allweiler pumps (BAS, SPF, SPZ, TRD, TRF, TRE, ZAS, ZASV)
Alternative spare parts for Jowa bilge water separators
Complete brazed plate heat exchangers
Electronic control systems (reconditioned and brand new)
Alternative spare parts for Aquafine water sterilizers
Replaceable gaskets for plate heat exchangers
Alternative spare parts for Moatti back flushing filters
Scrubber nozzles for pollution control
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SCULPTURE COMPETITION
In MAEM's marketing portfolio, we have a number of exhibition stands organized at trade fairs around the world, as well as smaller events, such as blood donation drives for employees, and many other competitions and campaigns. When we received the question about the possibility of supporting the pilot edition of the Oswiecim Land Sculpture Competition, we knew that this would be a new experience for us. Apart from the financial aspects of supporting the event, this time we agreed to help the organizers of the competition in organizing the whole process. We like new experiences, which also this time we treated as an opportunity to develop
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and learn. Among the many CSR campaign s in w hich M A EM i s dire c tl y involved, the ones in which children are the main beneficiaries give us the greatest pleasure and satisfaction.
procedures in our company. Project, divided tasks, deadlines, budget ... and so the competition took real shapes. The assumed limit of participants exceeded our expectations at this stage.
This is how we met Agnieszka, the owner of the Art Labolatory. The Art Laboratory has been organizing various art workshops for children and adults for years. Ms. Agnieszka, who is herself an artist recognized in the local environment, is also involved in the development of culture and ar t, especially among children and young people.
Thanks to Ms. Agnieszka's commitment, combined with support from MAEM, over 120 contestants entered the competition. Ms. Agnieszka visited almost all schools and cultural centers of the district, promoting the said contest in each of them. The contest lasted three days, and each participant had two hours to create his or her work.
After the first meeting with Agnieszka, we created a schedule of tasks, implemented s tandard organizational
The artistic level of the works created during the contest was another pleasant surprise for us. We present a few
of them, reminding that in the vast majority they were made by children from elementary school. The works were evaluated by a jury consisting of recognized artists. The jury also included two delegates of our company - Klaudia and Ewa, who are part of the organizing team. The culmination of the competition was the vernissage organized at the Oswiecim Culture Center. It was preceded by two organizational meetings in Oswiecim, two days spent on preparing the venue for the vernissage, and dozens of hours of graphic and organizational work done by Klaudia, Ewa, and Kamil. During the vernissage, which took place in late October, there
was a ceremony to award prizes and the opening of the post-competition exhibition. We invite you to watch photoreport from this event. We hope that the competition and vernissage is for many young participants the beginning of their adventure with art. We are happy to see so many young people who find the time and desire to communicate with art. We are proud to facilitate this path for them. We hope that next year we will meet again at the next edition of the contest.
Short movie from the competition is available on MAEM's social media channels @maemcompany
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What did Maem’s organizers tell about the contest? Klaudia: The biggest surprise for me during th e c o mp e ti ti o n w a s th e inv o l v e m e nt of young people in the creative process. Experiencing and searching for an appropriate form culminated in sculptures which would be appreciated by many renowned artists. Ewa: Teamwork, commitment and creativity - this is how I can briefly describe my experience with the organization of the event. It was a great pleasure to observe the enthusiasm of the participants, their mutual help and childish joy, which we as adults, should learn from them. Kamil: It was the first time I had the pleasure of organizing this type of event. The faces of smiling children give me almost as much joy as the faces of satisfied customers at our trade show stalls.
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HARBOUR CITIES SEA OF ATTRACTIONS
In our travels through the most attractive port cities from St. Petersburg, where we visited in the last edition of M Magazine, we move to the west of Europe. We couldn't leave out the city that lies at the gateway to Europe's largest port - Rotterdam. Rot terdam is a cit y located in the Rhine-Meuse delta, on the New Meuse. The city is connected with the North Sea through about thirty kilometers of navigable channel Nieuwe Waterweg. Its history dates back to the thirteenth century. The first mentions of a developing fishing settlement come from this period. In 1299 Rotterdam was granted city rights. The city lived from fishing, trade and shipping. Since the sixteenth centur y, the expansion of the por t began on a large scale for those times. The city gradually grew in strength and became more and more important port
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on the map of Europe. The world expansion and development was brutally interrupted by the Second World War. In 1940 Rotterdam was practically razed to the ground by the Nazis. The rebuilt city took on a whole new modernis t s t yle, becoming one of the mos t interes ting places in the Netherlands. The port has also regained its glory, becoming the largest transit port in the world, stretching 40 km in length and 105 km2 in area. The rivers Meuse and Rhine provide excellent access inland and allow you to reach as far as Basel and France. The Port of Rotterdam is a versatile commercial port that handles all types of goods. In 2008, the total transshipment of the port was over 421 million tons. The largest share was the unloading of crude oil (23.76%), as well as the handling of 9.66 million containers with a total
capacity of 16.07 million TEU (twenty feet equivalent unit). The city is a true cradle of cultures, inhabited by many nationalities from around the world. The diversity of the population gives the city a unique atmosphere. Although the architecture of the city suffered greatly from bombing raids during World War II and there are not many ancient monuments, Rotterdam is a fantastic place where you certainly can not get bored. Enjoy an overview of the most interesting Rotterdam attractions you can see in one or two days.
Euromast
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This is an observation tower in Rotterdam, from which we can admire the panorama of the city. The tower with a height of 186 meters is distinguished from other buildings of this type by a part called Euroscoop, which is a platform going up and rotating at the same time.
Markthal
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The Markthal Shopping Center is a residential and office building with a retail section. The architecture of the building resembles a horseshoe, inside of which there is a market hall. From the outside you can see windows belonging to office spaces or private apartments. The relatively new shopping center, because it was opened only in 2014, attracts primarily by stalls with various delicacies of Dutch cuisine and many other cuisines of the world.
Diergaarde Blijdorp This is the Zoo in Rotterdam – it is a place worth visiting not only because of the numerous animal species collected there. One of the best attractions of this garden is the Oceanarium which is a glass tunnel. You can walk under such a tunnel and admire the animals that live there swimming above you. Walking through the Rotterdam Zoo gives you the opportunity to traverse many environments. From the savannah, gorilla island, crocodile river, bat cave, tropical park with elephants to the ice cave where you can see polar bears swimming in the icy water.
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De Kuip Stadium
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De Kuip Stadium is well known to every soccer fan. This legendary arena of Feyenoord Rotterdam and the Dutch national team is open to the public - and it's definitely worth finding an hour and a half to go there. During the tour you will see, among others, the visitors' locker room, the conference room and you will stand on the pitch, which you will enter through the tunnel designed for football players. The stadium itself is quite old - it was commissioned in 1937 - but you can feel the magic there that the new facilities often lack.
Erasmusbrug Bridge
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Rotterdam is a city with very interesting architecture. One of the most famous objects here is the Erasmusbrug bridge, which is worth a walk. Its name comes from the greatest of Rotterdammers - Erasmus, one of the leading humanists of the Renaissance. His most famous philosophy was that man by nature is good, evil comes from ignorance. In addition to the bridge, we recommend walking along the quays on both sides of the bridge. From each place we can see completely dif ferent and interesting objects. These include: Willemsbrug in Witte Huis. Willemsbrug is a cable-stayed road bridge located over the New Meuse. It looks quite distinctive because of the color it is painted. Its red color makes it distinctive and visible from a distance. Witte Huis, or the so-called White House, is a building that was one of the few to survive the bombing of World War II. It was built in the Art Nouveau style, similar to American office buildings. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest building in Europe with a height of only 43 meters.
Rotterdam City Hall
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Rotterdam City Hall was built between 1914 and 1920 and is one of the few buildings in the city center to survive the 1940 bombing. It was declared a national monument in 1997. The town hall has a bell tower which is 71 meters high. At the top of the town hall tower is a statue of the golden angel of peace by sculptor Johan Keller. The building itself was designed around a large courtyard. You can easily enter the town hall and see the main hall, then head to the courtyard, which is equally beautiful.
We hope we have been able to encourage you to take some time out to explore this beautiful city. Rotterdam hosts the biennial Europort maritime fair, the largest industry event in this part of Europe.
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SAILING ACROSS THE PACIFIC II MEMORIES FROM THE HIGH MARITIME UNIVERSITY 1969-1973
We invite you to read a series of articles that will take us back to the harsh reality of the 70's and 80's, known to most of us only from stories told by our parents or grandparents. Their author is Mr. Andrzej Buszke, a graduate of the Naval Academy in Gdynia, a sailor who worked 28 years of his life at sea. The stories are accounts and descriptions of subjective feelings of the author. The stories describe the reality of communist Poland, as well as the world, which no longer exists, seen through the eyes of an adept and then ETO (Electro-technical Officer).
Military College The rooms of the Military College were located deep in the right wing. The training lasted five semesters (2,5 years) and ended with an exam to become an officer. Those who had already done their military service were exempt from classes. They had ‘a day off ’. On that one day, dressed in military white cloth uniforms (sewn like those from Sergei Eisenstein's movie Battleship Potemkin) and black berets with an eagle without a crown, we were committed to the Armed Forces. We had to be careful when going outside the School because we could be stopped by the Internal Security Service patrols for incomplete uniforms or lack of saluting. The lectures given by the commanders took place in several specialist rooms. The submarine weapons room was interesting, a small museum with display boards, mine gadgets and a long torpedo in cross-section. In the front section of the torpedo you could lie down comfortably, and since we were notoriously sleep-deprived, it provoked competition: ‘who will be the first to take a seat there’ during
a long break of 20 minutes. The rest of us had to settle for a place with a beret under our heads on the parquet floor, which we had previously painstakingly shaved and waxed. The Petty Officers conducted field exercise, on the firing range and the training ground. During
one of the exercises called ‘a sailor in defense’, the petty officer ordered us to put on gas masks and plunged us into a deep pit. The petty officer ordered us to put on gas masks and he drove us into a deep pit. Then he threw a few gas grenades in there. We sat in the
On the training ground. Author - second from left.
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At the end of the 2.5-year Military Study, we got new camo uniforms.
fumes of blue gas for a good 10 minutes. Sitting in the ditch, I heard strange noises made by my friend. Some swishing and snoring. We came out of the pit, took off the masks that covered our faces. I was horrified when I saw Zbigniew's face. Snotty, red and swollen. It turned out that he hadn't closed the flexible pipe to the absorber and he was breathing gas. Every now and then we fell on night duty to guard the gun magazine. We were given a magazine with live ammunition for AK kbk. From the events of the Military College, I remember the exercises on the submersible chamber, the so-called caiss on . T hey to ok place at the Nav al Academy in Oksywie. The exercises consisted in the fact that in pairs we were placed in the caisson together with pins, wedges and a hatch was closed. Then a steel cylinder was sunk. Through numerous holes water was dripping inside and the level rose quickly. Our task was to seal the holes as quickly as possible and stop the inflowing water. The cabin was equipped with a porthole to monitor how we were doing. It was quite an exciting ‘drill’. I remember that we plugged the gaps when the water was already coming up to our shoulders. There were also those who failed the test and were pulled out when they were in danger of drowning. December events – 14th of December 1970 There was a Monday class going on at the College. I was sitting by the window during a lecture and I heard a sound,
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like the rattling of a sewing machine. Silhouettes of helicopters were drawn against the sky. They were the ones making those sounds. It was the day of the famous massacre of the shipyard workers on the wooden platform of the Gdynia Shipyard station. They came by electric train to work in the Paris Commune Shipyard. Later, I saw many times the planks of the platform frayed with bullets and the blood of the shipyard workers soaked into them... For the next two days they did not know what to do with us. We were a school with a paramilitary structure, organizationally divided into squads, platoons and companies. It was feared that we would spontaneously join the course of the tragic December events. At night, the weapons from the weapons magazine were taken away. ‘The pedagogical authority’ stayed on the school premis es 2 4 hours a day. Rec tors , deans, heads of departments and lecturers slept in their offices, ate meals with us, which clearly gained in quality. I remember their faces when they ate our favorite black pudding for dinner. Finally, it was decided that we had to be sent home. We marched in platoons to the Gdynia Glownia train station, we were given tickets to the place of our permanent residence. I was sent to Slupsk. Traineeship at the Paris Commune Shipyard After the first year we had a month's internship in the ‘Commune’ shipyard. On the same bulk carrier ‘July Manifest’, where the year before we were pulling
cables. Now, smelling of freshly laid paint, it stood on the equipment coast. I spent the first few days at CMK, watching passively as technicians and engineers connected electrics and electronics to the GRT and desktops. Later, we managed to come to an ‘understanding’ with the apprenticeship supervisor guarding us, and after changing into our work clothes - we had our own lockers in the locker room - we left through a side gate to the shipyard's CHP (Combined Heat and Power) plant. We cooperated with the student worker cooperative ‘Techno-Service’ located in Gdansk Wrzeszcz and we had workbooks. I remember the annual earnings limit was 1800 PLN. An exorbitant sum for a student's pocket. As part of the contract, we cleaned the roof of the CHP plant of chimney dust. With the help of shovels a layer of soot reaching half a metre was dug out and thrown down. The work was various, mostly physical. In the ‘Commune’ shipyard it was: cleaning tunnels in the double bottom of ships under construction and scaffolding from stripped pieces of steel; bringing in iron ballast cubes and laying them on the bottom of fishing vessels built in the shipyard; moving. The biggest job was the one I arranged for myself and four of my colleagues from the Department - on 18 borrowed workbooks (because there was a salary limit). We cleaned windows in the halls and offices of the War Shipyard in Oksywie. In one of the halls we were driven from window to window on an overhead crane by the deputy director himself ‘for something there’. On both sides of the
gantry there were ladders, buckets and a two-person team with brushes. Full automation. The deputy director made money driving us on the crane, the job was done quickly and efficiently. After the salaries were collected, we held a lavish reception for everyone who lent us their workbooks.
students of the State Maritime School, who were studying at the same time with us, were ‘leaving’ and did not want to expose themselves. We were suspended in uncertainty for several days. The matter became politically salacious case and there were rumored proposals to dissolve the ‘rebellious’ class.
I remember once, af ter a colleague and I had unloaded coal from a 24-ton wagon - the coal was delivered in wheelbarrows on planks laid on a heap - we did not go to class in the morning after working through the night.
The strike was successful. A few people left, the food improved, the tiles were replaced. I don't remember whether there was hot water in the washroom taps in the morning. Nobody was expelled.
I once did measurements and sketches for a designed lightning protection system on the roof of a vinegar and mustard factor y. A s time went on, with each passing year and even month, the rigor of discipline waned. I remember the Maritime School had three six-wheel lifeboats. They were used for inter-departmental races to the Redlowo Cape and back. During the second year, in May and June, we would leave the lectures and exercises ‘to row’. We would swim out of the yacht basin and after a short swim in the very cold water we would paddle vigorously to warm up. The number of bedroom occupants decreased as new rooms arrived. From 12 to 10, 8 - in the last IX semester, af ter moving to the new dorms on Sedzickiego Street, I lived in a triple room.
The authors of the protest were searched for. Fonts were examined to find the typewriter that was used to edit the text of the petition. As far as I know, nothing was officially found.
‘Bukszpryt’ Student’s Club It was located on the first floor by the lobby in the west wing. I think the inauguration was in 1971? It was a much-needed place for social meetings with relatives. Later dance parties were held there. Young Maryla Rodowicz with her inseparable guitarists came to perform. The dance evenings attracted many girls. Couples formed. Some became married. We had a very interesting and touching meeting with Leonid Teliga, a great sailor, who sailed around the globe on a tiny yacht ‘Opty’ with Bermuda rigging. We asked him for autographs. The traveler who fulfilled his passions was already very ill. It was one of His last meetings. He died half a year later.
School strike During the second year, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Electronics organized a hunger strike based on voluntary solidarity in giving away food ration cards and sending a letter to the Ministry of Shipping, the Municipal Commit tee of the Polish United Workers' Party, the authorities of the University and the Faculty. ‘The starting point’ was the threat of expulsion of one student for a trivial reason. There were several demands, mainly social ones, but there were also personal accusations against people from the Faculty Council, referring to cases of degrading treatment and insulting our dignity. There were certainly some other demands, regarding the structure of the university itself. Demands from the social sphere included: improving the quality of meals, hot water in taps, replacing moldy tiles in washrooms and showers. Only the students of Gdynia Maritime University took part in the strike action. Third-year
Meeting in ‘Bukszpryt’
Lifestyle | Autumn 2021 | 25
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