Robert Fronczak Currently Captain on the “Gdansk Express”
Captain Robert Fronczak applied to Hapag-Lloyd five times – until he was asked by the shipping company itself last year. On his first voyage under his new contract, he experienced a storm that he would have gladly done without. In the end, everything went well, like so many things in the life of the captain, whom we visited in his new home of Barcelona.
Gràcia is one of Barcelona’s most popular neighbourhoods. Centrally located near the famous Sagrada Família church, there are many nice bars, galleries and small stores here. “We’ve been really lucky with our apartment,” says Captain Fronczak as he invites us to take a quick tour of his flat. There is a surprising amount of modern art on the walls. “We’ve started collecting a bit,” explains the native Pole before he shows us one of his favourite paintings – of an angel with a white deer – painted by a Polish artist. A little feeling of home is essential even in Fronczak’s new home in Spain. “2023 was such an exciting year,” he says. “I got the job opportunity from Hapag-Lloyd, my wife got a job offer in Barcelona, and our daughter finished primary school with excellent final grades. Shortly before moving here from Warsaw, where we had lived for 17 years, I started my first voyage for Hapag-Lloyd.”
A storm at the start and the best support
And what was this first voyage for his new employer like? “Stormy would be an understatement!” Fronczak responds. “We sailed the Asia-Europe route with the ‘Al Nefud’, one of our largest ships at 400 metres long and 59 metres wide. We got caught in a low-pressure area in the Indian Ocean. The waves, which were as high as a house, hit the hull with full force. Anyone who believes that nothing can shake such a giant has no idea about the forces of nature. From the bridge, I could see our ship twisting in the storm.”
The support from ashore was second to none, he continues, saying: “We were in close contact the whole time and received the best possible support. We finally called at the port of Jeddah. Some of the containers had been damaged, so we had to unload them first. The voyage ended up taking four weeks longer than planned. I am so happy that my wife, Daria, understands this and takes my life at sea in stride. She works full-time herself, loves her independence and has always wanted to marry a sailor,” Fronczak says, adding with a laugh “No idea why!” And what about their daughter? “Pola is also very independent, she has lessons here from morning to night to learn English, Spanish and Catalan, among other things. And, of course, she meets lots of new people at the international school! I find it impressive how quickly she has settled in!”
From the bridge, I could see our ship twisting in the storm.
Robert in his Barcelona apartment telling us about his beginnings in seafaring.
Beginnings and pieces of the puzzle
Fronczak, who grew up in Kutno, a small city in central Poland, started his seafaring career straight after leaving school. An older friend invited him to visit the Maritime University of Szczecin in north-western Poland. “I loved it there from the very first moment – the atmosphere, the people, just my thing!” he says. Less than two months later, the young man applied and began his studies. He spent his first voyages on tankers operated by Greek shipping companies.
“At the end of the 1990s, seafaring was still very different,” he says.
“Fewer safety standards on board, more time in ports.” He particularly remembers a voyage in the Mediterranean with a detour to Africa and a long shipyard stay in the Bulgarian port of Varna. “As a rating, I learned a lot there – from repairs and maintenance on deck to watch duty – and I still benefit from it today,” the captain says. “Knowledge and experience came together over the years like pieces of a puzzle – a puzzle that’s never finished because new pieces are always being added.”
Persistently pursuing his dreams
Fronczak’s dream came true when he joined Hapag-Lloyd. “I applied to Hapag-Lloyd a total of five times because I think it’s the best container shipping company in the world. Why didn’t it work out right away? Maybe it was the timing?” he muses, adding:
“I have a motto in life: ‘Sticking with it is everything! Sooner or later, you’ll reach your goal!’”
I started at UASC in 2020. And when Hapag-Lloyd acquired UASC, the job offer came to me!”
Fronczak swears by lifelong learning. “I have completed many training courses and seminars,” he says. “The best of them has been at the Ship Handling Research and Training Centre in Iława, Poland. Here, on Lake Silm, pilots and captains from all over the world practice difficult manoeuvres on full-scale tankers, gas tankers, bulk carriers and container ships to be prepared for real-life situations, collisions and avoiding environmental disasters later on. The whole thing looks like a theme park, but the manoeuvres are real and very educational – and fun, too!”
When the mood on board is bad, Fronczak says that his optimistic outlook on life helps him. “We’re all only human,” he explains. “If the wages don’t arrive on time, there can be small arguments among the crew. As captain, you not only have to navigate your ship, but also the crew through everyday life. And I like to talk to people and get advice from the crew. Together, we make the best decisions.”
I think that Hamburg is one of the safest ports in the world!
Finally, Fronczak invites us to join him on a short sightseeing tour of his new home city. We head west to the famous Park Güell with what feels like as many tourists as sights and a sensational view over Barcelona. Then we take the metro to Sagrada Família, a church designed by Antoni Gaudí, which has been under construction for more than 150 years. “I haven’t had time to see the city at my leisure yet,” Fronczak says. “But the port, especially around the Porta d’Europa bridge, where the Hapag-Lloyd ships dock, is a must!”
On the way there, Fronczak talks about his favourite ports in Europe, mentioning the port of Genoa, which lies just outside the city, and that of Valencia, a nearby city with a great beach. Southampton, with its pretty old town and long maritime history, is also worth a visit, he says, adding: “And, of course, I think that Hamburg is one of the safest ports in the world!”
Fronczak stands on the Porta d’Europa bridge and points to the southern port area. “That’s where our ships always arrive!” he says. And you can sense that the captain has also arrived: He is in Barcelona and in his dream job at Hapag-Lloyd.
At the Porta d'Europa, Robert showed us the Barcelona Harbor, which is the third biggest in Spain and the ninth biggest in Europe.
Robert in front of the Sagrada Família: the iconic masterpiece of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.
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