Container ship captain Gu Longhua, 58, has been helming ever bigger ships along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in recent years as cargo shipments boom on the route, part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Gu, a merchant seaman for 38 years, is now in charge of the MV Cosco Netherlands, a 366-meter-long container ship that can carry 13,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, the measure for standard containers.
He has been a captain for 20 years and started guiding ships from China to Europe regularly five years ago.
"In 2013, the ships I helmed from China to Europe could transport 5,200 TEUs," Gu said. "But during the next two years, I captained two 10,000-TEU ships to the Mediterranean Sea, and they were nearly fully loaded on every voyage.
"Our company has arranged for five giant 21,000-TEU ships, the world's largest, to run to Europe every week."
He said cargo shipments have been growing because the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which connects Asia and Europe, has promoted international trade, financing and cultural exchanges.
Gu, who grew up in Shanghai, said he would never forget the moment he saw his first big ship, at age 12.
"I visited my relative's home near the Huangpu River," he said. "That's when a container ship with a displacement of over 10,000 metric tons appeared. It was so big. I just never imagined there could be such a tremendous ship in the world."
Gu said he was interested in the sea, and when he was young he thought being a seaman would give him the chance to see the world. To make that happen, he enrolled in a seamen's college in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, and graduated in 1978.
He started off as an able seaman and was promoted to captain in 1998. "In the past 38 years, I've paid the most attention on one thing－transporting cargo safely," he said.
Gu said his 20 years as a captain have been largely accident-free, but they had put him in some situations he would never forget.
In 2005, he encountered an extreme storm while sailing an empty ship across the Pacific to Canada. Gu said he was relatively inexperienced at the time, and more reliant on the instrumentation on the ship's bridge and advice from others.
"However, the storm was way beyond anyone's imagination," he said. "The sea was quite calm at first but violent winds and roaring waves suddenly appeared. I could see nothing through the window."
The ship swayed dramatically, from the bow to the stern, and its screw propeller jutted above the sea's surface. Gu was worried such severe shaking would cause serious damage to the ship's engine and decided to change course downwind.
But changing course was also dangerous because the ship would be side on to the wind while turning. "I did nothing then but held the handrail tightly and saw the bow dash into the water, talking to myself－'It's all finished'," Gu recalled.
The vessel successfully completed the maneuver, but Gu said it had flirted with disaster.
Seamen usually spend seven to nine months at sea and then return to China for a vacation that can last three to five months. That means the time they can spend with their families is limited.
Gu said he felt guilty for neglecting his parents and wife. "Years ago, my father was diagnosed with cancer and need a great deal of care. But in the following months I returned to work on the ship," he said. "I had no choice because that's my job, after all, and I need to make money.
"But I was wondering if my dad would go during my time at sea. Although he passed away a year later, when I was at home, I still felt ashamed.
"My wife has sometimes complained that I don't stay home for long, but she understands me. Being a seaman's wife requires a strong will and independence to take good care of the home."
However, Gu said he had never regretted being a seaman, as the job has given him a strong sense of achievement.
"Every time I safely deliver all the cargo on the ship means I don't fall short of others' expectations," he said.
Gu said Chinese seamen are warmly welcomed in other countries because of the rapid development of China and the maritime Silk Road.
"Our good Chinese characteristics of business credibility and hard work will be spread further along the maritime Silk Road to the rest of world," he said. "And I truly believe China and all other countries can cooperate and share a victory along the maritime Silk Road."
Sources:chinadaily
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