Janka Andrucha poznałem przez Mirka Włodkowskiego. Mirek, "mors" ze Słupska, żeglował ze mną jeszcze na "MILAGRO IV". Kiedyś zapytał, czy z nami mógłby popłynąć jego przyjaciel - muzyk ze Słupska - "mors" Janek Andruch. OK - Janek dołączył do załogi. Spokojny, fachowy, zgodny. Nie nażeglowaliśmy się razem długo. Po 3 latach Mirek zmarł. Janek z Mietkiem Leśniakiem też byli w doskonałej komitywie, tak że żeglowało nam się wspaniale. Wspominam te rejsy, przeglądam fotografie. Janek pierwszy wyokrętował. Dostał dobrą pracę na zagranicznym jachcie. zdobywał doświadczenie i kolekcjonował coraz to nowe certyfikaty. Ucieszyłem się ogladając jego profesjonalny patent kapitana jachtowego RYA. Był u mnie w lutym i opowiadał o przygotowaniach do egzaminu na zawodowy patent kapitański - STCW95 Master 200Tons Lmt, OOW3000Tons (Yachts and training ships). Obiecał, że zaraportuje "bezpośrednio po." Poniżej zamieszczam ten tekst. Dlaczego po angielsku ? Taki to zwyczaj, ze poczta wychodząca ze statku powinna być pisana w tym języku. Na fotografiach zobaczycie Janka, jego opiekunkę Annę  i egzaminatora.

I tak się rozeszły nasze drogi. Janek poszedł w prawo, Mietek w lewo (ceniony kapitan jachtu LADY B), Mirek umarł, a Wiesiek Wożniak i ja .... 

Żyjcie wiecznie !

Don Jorge

____________________

"OK, Mr Andruch, you have passed..."

Said the MCA examiner to me on tuesday the 21 st march. Place -Liverpool Coast Guard, Few minutes later, walking the way to the railway station still couldnt believe it !!! The exam itself wasnt a big one, at least ,I didnt get that impression.I could even say that it dissapointed me a bit! In some way ofcourse.
    It started 3.pm when I walked into the exam room, and fourty minutes laterI was  crossing the doorstep in opposit direction , with a BIG smile on my face! That was the exam I was writing to you about some time ago, and to be allowed to just seat it, I needed to have "famous" NoE.- Notice Of Eligibility which you get after you have completed all the courses under STCW95 convention and also "famous" Training Record Book proving your practical experience over the stretch of time of no less than 12 months. All of this must have been supported by 36monts of sea service on Yachts commercialy operated. Big deal of bureaucracy and of the money and time!
    On the exam I was given questions from the syllabus for OOW 3000 ,and they were so called MCA type of questions concentrated mostly on safety, safe working practices, rules of the road, response to emergencies, navigation, radar, ECDIS, meteo, passage planing, toys on the table - colision situations-action to take, and so on...
    I was the lucky one to be the last on that day and examiner seemed to be tired  a bit ,apperently from the guy before me, which spent almost one and half an hour in the room.I new almost all the answers the Examiner was asking for and was giving them promptly and quickly almost raceing against the time, which he liked, cos, I think he was already thinking of something much nicer than sitting in one room for another hour with some Polish fellow...!!!

  Some of the courses were posible to be copleted in Polish Maritime Academy (basic Training STCW95,GMDSS, Firs Medical Aid) but supprisingly Certificate Of Proficiency in Rescue Boats other than Fast Rescue Boats STCW95 has been rejected for acknown reason dissapointing me completely!!
    During years of doing courses in France and Spain in training centres reckognized by the MCA I had a good possibility to compaire the standards and level of training. I must say that training in Polish naval and merchant maritime academies was much more profesional than training centres in France or Spain.!
   On top of everything I  also had to have health certificate issued by the MCA approved doctor, and this also wasnt easy !
I chose Liverpool for my oral  exam for no specific reason ,just because somebody I have met was goin to go there for his exam .Anyway ,it turned out to be the lucky one for a few reasons. First of all I met good team of people in JOHN PERCIVAL  Sailing School in Hoylake, Wirral (outskirts of Liverpool) and took two days of preparation  of 1-2-1 tuition conducted by retired Master Mariner KEITH CEDERHOLM shools instructor .,and it was HIM I needed to talk to before I went for the EXAM.I spent two days of nice talking with him, being guided through the oral  exam samples question, brushing my knowledge easy way, without too much stress, almost having FUN!!!  And it was ANNA WILLIAMS which took care of me during my stay in Liverpool organizing taxies, booking good acomodation in neigbourhood,gathering and supplying me with all the information I needed , VERY GOOD manager and nice girl .All the STUFF was treating me as if I was one of them!
    I  also,would like to say that village I was living in was kind of "Postman Pat" (Cartoon movie for children well known in Poland) village., and have seen good and positive examples of English conservatism. All of this  made my stay there nice and interesting.
   That was in England, but, before I got there I ve been sailing on our Baltic Sea  since long time before now, and have nice memories of years of sailing on small sailing boats making trips along the Polish coastline  with Captain Bogdan Matowski which was my first captain, and which I think made me a "sailor".I always remember His special sense of humor and, have to say, not  an easy character, but somehow I would manage  to be His crew for many years, experiencing His profesionalism, must say, discipline, (not the military way ,but strong enough to be respected without too much space for any allowance).There were funny stories we had together on our trips  acros Baltic and North Sea, but this will stay between us and I hope one day I will have a glass of something good, hopefuly well before we get old fahrts! Hopefuly next winter!!!  Shall we, my Captain !!!

  And when I continue calling my memories I always think of our Friend Mirek Wlodkowski which has past away years ago, but is still, somwhere around, having fun watching us from up THERE, Happy years we spent sailing together on his little 5,5  wooden boat he made himself in every piece of it.  And your boat "Milagro V"  is loking for a new owner, I hear! Happy Years, Happy Years we all had sailing on her, with You, senor JORGE!

    Now, I am going to take a brake a bit, from too much studying ,well, for some time at least , to release the stress and, ofcourse new season is just starting now,so we going to be busy anyway!
    So,  I am STCW95 Master 200Tons Lmt, OOW3000Tons (Yachts and training ships), MCA ticket, also because I met you on my way, senor Jorge, being your permanent crew on  trips that were one of the nicest things that happened in my life.  Happy years they were......

     Janek