My Dear Captain. Getting Aсquainted

During 45 years of seafaring I have worked with various Masters. There was a Greek whom I hated with all fibers of my soul, there was a Swede who virtually sipped my blood in glassfuls… I disliked many Masters, but many of them I respected immeasurably   - for their professionalism, decency, spirit of fairness, loyalty to their hard work.

But now I want to recall the only Captain I truly cherished, the real Person, a Greek, Aphanasiy Sapunas. A year ago, being 69, he left this world – but still alive in my heart, in my memory. A sizable part of my sea stories I daily feed my fellow green engine-room seafarers -  about him. But I`d like to make sure that more people knew about him, he is worthy of it. I`ll try to put to paper something from my memory – not knowing what may come out of it. May be, some
Masters will read it as well… 
    
I got acquainted with Afanasiy in 1995, when replacing the Greek Chief Engineer aboard a small dry-cargo ship with an international crew in Las-Palmas. For two days I stayed at a hotel waiting for the ship sailing from Dakar. She ought  to have been here long ago, but was still delayed – as I got to know later – due to the problems with the main engine… On boarding the ship I came to report, as usual, to the Captain. He didn`t try to conceal the ship`s problems, and said at once: I`d better not ask an old Greek Chief Engineer about the reasons for main engine`s troubles– but  the 2-nd Engineer. The latter had, just like the Chief Engineer, to leave for home – his replacement was already on board. In an hour we met with the Captain again.

 - Well, Chief, and what is your opinion? What does this piece of metal need?
- Looks like your Chief Engineer opened the cylinders in vain. I agree with the 2-nd Engineer. If mooring conditions permit, the gas turbine should be revised.
- Will you handle this?
  - Only if you manage to leave the 2-nd Engineer on board till the very departure. Is it possible at all? He has agreed himself, but how could it be handled… He has to fly out in the morning.         
- He`ll stay on board. It`s not your headache. I`ll settle the matters with the Company. Would you need any other help?
- By God, what else could you do personally? If you okay the turbine overhaul, and leave the former 2-nd Engineer in addition, I`ll bow to the ground anyway for that.
- Well, I`ve heard that our donkey boiler should be cleaned. What`s your opinion?
- Hmm…It surely won`t  make things worse. Would it be of some use… It well could help. But I have no one to do a job there.
- I`ll take care of it. Get busy with the turbine, and forget about the boiler.
- Beg pardon?
 - Repeat for the dumbheads. I`ll send the Bos`n with deckhands there, They`ll lick your boiler far better than your greasenavels. I`ll personally look to that.

I was simply shocked. Yes indeed, I`ve never met the likes of this Master.
Neither before, nor afterwards, and 20 years have passed since then. I have never again had two 2-nd Engineers at once, and never again a Master cleaned the boiler. No Master gave me more valuable advices. No one astonished me with such generosity and magnanimity, indefatigability and optimism. I have learned a lot from Afanasiy, just working beside him. Well, here was some Greek. While some continue repeating: When you shook hands with a Greek, count your fingers afterwards…   

* Translation has been done by Sergey Kamensky, the oldest and the best friend of mine.