In July 1982, five promising young cadets graduated from Sønderborg Søfartskole (Sønderborg School of Seafarers) and went on to sail with Maersk Supply Service.

Carsten Andersen, Flemming Bang, Peter Grøn, Peter Andersen and Keld Thilqvist all rose through the ranks from cadet to captain, with some also working onshore for a period. Now, 40 years later, they have dedicated an astonishing 200 years of service between them, providing invaluable experience, expertise and safe hands to Maersk Supply Service.

Below, they share some insights and reflections from their extraordinary careers so far, from their most formative challenges to their favourite moments.

Class photo of 1982, Sønderborg Søfartskole
Cpt Carsten Andersen

Captain Carsten Andersen

First vessel:

Chastine Mærsk. I thought it was such a beautiful name that we christened my daughter Anne Chastine.

Current location:

Mærsk Lifter, North Sea

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry?

The vessels are larger and we are operating in deeper and deeper waters. Not to mention the documentation required in the industry – we are yet to go paperless.

What was your greatest challenge?

The most recent 4-5 year period was the hardest, when we went through the difficult combination of cost-cuttings, austerity and the Covid-19 pandemic.

And your best experience?

My top 3 are:

  1. When the crew made it clear that, though they had to spend Christmas at sea, it did not matter since they were aboard Maersk Lifter. It also meant I could show the ship to my family so they could finally understand what I do 🙂
  2. My promotion to captain and my first permanent vessel assignment. This was to Mærsk Trader in Brazil, on a charter for Petrobras, which involved operations with the crane/pipelaying barge “BGL1”. Some might have called it an “inverted Kinder Egg”. These were probably my best 4 years at MSS.
  3. Last but not least, being assigned to Mærsk Topper when she was a newbuild.

What advice would you give to the next generation of seafarers?

Be proactive, get stuck in and ask to have a go. Come down onto the deck and learn how heavy and unwieldy the equipment is down there.

And, without wanting to sound too grandiose, listen to the voices of experience around you and forge your own path. The captain I am today is a person made up of a little of each of the captains I had throughout the years.

Captain Flemming Bang

First vessel:

Albert Maersk. I was posted to New York together with CPT Peter Andersen. It was our first time on a plane – a big deal back then…and we actually missed the flight from Amsterdam as we weren’t used to navigating airports. We were so sure we’d be fired the next day…

Current location:

Maersk Inventor, Offshore Mexico

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry?

One of the biggest changes has been in the makeup of the crew. In the past, the crews used to be fairly homogenous, made up almost entirely of Danes, whereas today it is rare to have fewer than 10 nationalities onboard. This has been really exciting, although also challenging at times to get the crew pulling together in the same direction.

What was your greatest challenge?

The toughest time was in in 2014 when the offshore market fell through the floor and there was a real danger of losing your job. Before that, the concept of job redundancy was totally alien. I think that was a real wake-up call for many.

And your best experience?

There have been so many amazing experiences that it is difficult to articulate which has been the greatest…

  • One thing I remember fondly is being assigned to the then newbuild Mærsk Laser in 2010, together with Peter Andersen. We had an absolutely fantastic team and an amazing time both in Stralsund and afterwards.
  • On a more personal level, I remember that MSS was very helpful during my illness in 2013. The support was truly fantastic.
  • Over the years, I have met many interesting people and had some excellent and skilled crews. In my experience, regardless of whether a ship is new or old, it is the crew onboard that creates the right atmosphere. I have always felt that you get the best out of a ship if everyone feels welcome and has a good time onboard. The results will always follow.

What advice would you give to the next generation of seafarers?

I could give a lot of advice, but one of the most important things is to be open to change. Both external and internal changes. If you compare life at sea in 1982 with today, it’s barely recognisable. It has gone from being a lifestyle to being more of a job. But one of the exciting things at sea is that no two days are the same.

And, without wanting to sound too grandiose, listen to the voices of experience around you and forge your own path. The captain I am today is a person made up of a little of each of the captains I had throughout the years.

Captain Peter Grøn

First vessel:

Gudrun Mærsk. A quick glance through my Discharge Books shows a total of 155 commissions on 23 different vessels over the past 40 years.

Current location:

Denmark (presently not assigned to a vessel).

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry?

The demands and expectations from clients and authorities have become much higher over the years. In the beginning of my career, the main thing was to get the job done – ‘one way or the other’. There was less focus on the way it was done and less documentation and accountability.

Over the course of the years the development in the industry has been towards more procedures and control, analyses and task plans etc. It could be seen as an overregulated industry with little freedom and room for manoeuvre – however, I do not think that anyone would actually like to go back to the ‘Good Old Days’. I think it is fair to say that our operations are more controlled, better planned and a lot safer nowadays.

What was your greatest challenge?

The biggest challenges have definitely been the promotions – the first trip in a new position was very exciting and of course also a bit frightening. It is a great satisfaction and relief when you get to grips with the tasks and feel fully comfortable with the responsibility of the new role.

And your best experience?

The newbuilds I have been fortunate to be involved in have been the best experiences and the biggest challenges. It is a huge and demanding task to be on the team taking over a vessel straight from the shipyard. From the final stage of the build to the run in of the vessel – often at the same time as the vessel starts operations for a charterer. A lot of hard work but also fulfilling to experience things falling into place and that the systems are working and meeting the expectations from the clients.

Often the newbuild crew has the advantage of staying together on the vessel for an extended period of time. This creates a special dynamic and culture among the crew, knowing each other well and overcoming challenges together.
That is probably the best thing about life at sea – to feel part of a team that functions well both professionally and socially.

My preference has been for the project vessels, since we work closely with the charterer’s project teams, both in the planning and the execution phases, which also makes the vessel’s crew feel an important part of the solutions. Further to that, the project vessels often have the same clients for months or even years at a time, which means you can build up trust and personal relations with the client’s personnel. I am confident that’s good for both parties and good for business.

If I am to choose the single most exciting operation I have been involved with, I would say that the peak was the first engineered grounding operation with C/V Maersk Connector. Prior to the vessel finally touching down, we had been studying seabed topography and calculated tides, ballast and stability for months in order to time everything to the minute. Being the first of these operations for MSS, there was a lot of attention from stakeholders – which we could definitely feel.

Seeing that it went down well, so to speak, was truly gratifying.

What advice would you give to the next generation of seafarers?

That’s difficult and I would actually be very careful of giving advice at all. I think that every generation has its own priorities, values and aims in life. What has been seen as important for my generation will not necessarily be the same for the next.

And actually, I do not think that achieving a 25, 40 or 50 year anniversary with an employer would necessarily be seen as something to strive for by the younger seafarers.  I think that the career pattern is much different now, but for me it has felt right.

However, if I should give my best piece of advice to the next generation anyway, I would say:

Be positive and try to have a positive influence on the people around you. Catch the chances you are given. Last but not least, make your professional life work together with your family and private life, and you will have a great job with lots of exciting work and lots of opportunities.

Finally, let me take this chance to thank all the good people I have worked with over the past 40 years.

Captain Keld Thilqvist

Captain Keld Thilqvist

First vessel:

Dirch Mærsk. My grandfather was beyond proud that I was sailing under the Maersk star.

Current location:

Lyngby HQ, Copenhagen

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry?

I’ve seen a number of changes over the years, but one of the biggest is certainly the level of administration. From inspections to insurance, there’s a lot more rigour and diligence in the processes these days, but also a greater administrative burden that comes with it.

I would also say that today’s incoming cadets are far better equipped for working aboard supply vessels. When we started, the choice for Maersk cadets was between Line and Tankers – my first time on a supply ship was aboard Maersk Tracker as a 2/O in remote Scottish waters, and I remember feeling a real language gap. But since we now foster cadets all the way through our own cadet programme, they get hands-on experience onboard our vessels and learn directly from our crew, so there’s no culture shock. The cadets at Maersk Supply Service are really well prepared to hit the ground running – and since these ships have some of the best equipment in the world, they are training in the best playgrounds imaginable. When else do you get to work with a crane that can lift 400 tonnes!

What was your greatest challenge?

This was actually on the home front, finding ways to make family life work while I was away for long periods, especially with a wife and children at home. The work-life balance was hard.

And your best experience?

I’ve been lucky enough to have had periods working both on- and offshore. This is my third time working onshore – and it’s fantastic! I always tell officers to come and try working onshore if they ever get the chance. You get the opportunity to be a part of actually developing and administrating processes, creating standards and improving safety. For example, I was involved in building up the simulator for our training complex in Svendborg, as well as co-developing a “Stability course for off-shore vessels” together with MTC and the college in Ålesund, Norway.

What advice would you give to the next generation of seafarers?

Believe in the future of the offshore supply sector. There’s been a lot of speculation about the future of anchor handlers with the decline of oil and gas, but I’ve never heard so much positivity in our industry as I’m hearing right now. Whether it’s in offshore turbine installations, floating wind or wave energy, we will have an exciting and important role to play in the green transition of offshore energy. Listen to the updates coming from our onshore teams and the optimism and direction coming from our leadership, and be buoyed by that positive energy.

Cpt Peter Andersen

Captain Peter Andersen

First vessel:

Albert Mærsk. As CPT Flemming mentioned, we missed the flight from Amsterdam to New York. We just made it, boarding the ship 90 minutes before she sailed.

Current location:

Maersk Handler, North Sea

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry?

In many ways, the seafaring vocation has moved from being a lifestyle choice to being a job like any other.

There’s also been a real shift in the level of administration, with much more time spent in front of a computer screen.

What was your greatest challenge?

On board the “old” Maersk Terrier as chief officer, when the vessel shifted work area to offshore Angola back in 1996, working in more than 900m of water depth. We had been used to work in the North Sea prior to that.

The years following the oil crash in 2014 were harder, since we had some tough years of cuts and recruitment issues. This was only exacerbated by Corona.

And your best experience?

There have been several. But the time on board the Maersk Laser from the time at the new building yard in Stralsund and serving on board with an excellent team is amongst the absolute top.

It is the crew/team one is working with, that in most cases will decide if it’s a good experience.

What advice would you give to the next generation of seafarers?

My advice would actually be for their future employers… The next generation of cadets are from a different mould: they are much more self-aware and worldly, and prioritise the right to a work-life balance. Different times call for new approaches, so retaining talent will mean staying in tune with what matters to seafarers today and offering them a competitive package.

“Supporting vessel dockings onsite has allowed me to experience procurement on a whole new level – it is definitely where the real action is!”

Abigail Fababeir, Senior Project Buyer

“It is interesting to work as a leader because I’m able to support the development of others and follow their progress”

Rodrigo Fasano, HR Manager

“The most interesting aspect of my job is probably the mix of building relations with our clients and understanding their needs, all while gaining an understanding of our regional markets.”

Sebastian Klasterer Toft, Senior Business Development Manager

“Every time our team concludes a project, I feel I am directly contributing to the development of our Company, the local economy and the world.”

Dimitri Serruya, Deck Officer

“The most interesting part of my job as a Chief Officer is being in direct contact both with the operational aspect and the management team being able to contribute with practical decisions of the vessel.”

Aline Monterio, Chief Officer

“What I love most about Maersk Supply Service is the feeling of shared purpose held by all employees. It makes my work life very meaningful to be able to connect with my colleagues sharing one common goal – to make Maersk Supply Service a leader in solving the energy challenges of tomorrow.”

Benjamin Attumaly, Naval Architect