Life at sea runs in Captain Arnold Vihinen’s family, but working in shipping wasn’t always in his plans. After almost two decades in seafaring and in different roles, Arnold now works at RABN as the proud captain of MV Baltic Amelie.
If you asked young Arnold about this dream job, he would have told you that he wants to follow in his godfather’s footsteps and become a coast guard officer. However, a small suggestion in his teenage years already nudged him towards a long career in the shipping industry.
“When I was 16, I was a bit fed up with working in my father’s landscaping business in Porvoo, so I asked my mother for other options. She suggested asking for work at a local shipping company. A chat with the crewing manager led to my friends and me working as cadets on board MV Cassandra for the summer”, Arnold says.
Many of Arnold’s relatives from his mother’s side already worked in shipping, so this was not a complete step into the unknown. After various summer jobs at sea and military service in the Finnish Navy, Arnold began studying in 2012 at the Master Mariner Program at Högskolan på Åland.
“I had applied to the Finnish borderline and coast guard academy but didn’t make the cut. My plan was to reapply next year, but when I start something, I finish it, and this also goes for getting a degree”, Arnold explains.
As a young adult, Arnold had the opportunity to sail on many vessels and try out various roles at sea. He worked on tourist boats in Porvoo, was a ferry operator for Finferries, served as a deckhand on a dry cargo ship, and even did some acting on board the galeas Marita, which made theatrical voyages.
New challenges at RABN
The first truly intimidating challenge, however, awaited on MV Emilie, the first ship in RABN’s fleet with that name.
“In 2015, I was looking for work and called Captain Mathias Bilenberg. One of his first questions was whether a frying pan would stay in my hand, as they needed a deckhand who could also cook for the crew. Working for a new company was not as scary as the fact that I would be responsible for the food on the vessel,” Arnold laughs.
He prepared for the new challenge by packing his bag with cookbooks and by asking his mother and grandmother for recipes.
Path to captaincy on RABN vessels
Cooking and working on painting the hull of MV Emilie marked the start of Arnold’s over a decade-long career at RABN.
Later, Arnold was invited to work on RABN’s MV Nathalie as a Chief Mate. In 2018, he had the opportunity to move to another vessel in the fleet, MV Baltic Amelie. On these vessels, he sailed from the Baltic to the North Sea and felt at home.
“During my studies, I did a temporary contract on Viking Line’s Amorella, but I feel that smaller coasters suit me better than large passenger vessels with a large crew. With a smaller vessel and a crew, everyone pitches in when needed,” Arnold ponders.
After almost three years at the company, RABN bought MV Odda Marie, which began sailing the Odda – Amsterdam – Hull route with a cargo of zinc ingots. There, Arnold took on the role of Chief Mate.
Finally, in the spring of 2023, Arnold received a call he had long been waiting for: RABN had bought a vessel and was now offering him the position of captain on board the second MV Emilie.
“I had already been thinking of a captain’s position and believed that I would do well in the role if I got the chance. But when the call came, it felt like I had forgotten everything and knew nothing about how to be a captain! Luckily, all these doubts disappeared once we set off for the first time from Koverhar.”
At the helm for years to come
After almost three years on board Emilie, it was time to say goodbye and begin anew as the captain of Baltic Amelie. Arnold has a family in Porvoo, for which the more predictable work on a liner is better suited.
“For me, being away from home for long periods at a time is a challenge, especially now with two small children at home. Luckily, I have a great wife, and all our parents help her when I’m at sea,” Arnold says.
While in port, it is easier to keep office hours, but life on board a cargo vessel has a different routine.
“As the captain, I have the 8 AM to noon watch on board, then again in the evening from 8 PM until midnight. I will also be on watch at other times, such as during arrivals and departures and during difficult circumstances. Also, a surprisingly large amount of paperwork is needed to keep a vessel moving!”
In the future, Arnold hopes to keep sailing as a captain on RABN vessels, maybe even one specifically built for RABN.
“It is such a great joy to see that the crew is happy and the vessel runs smoothly. Getting to manoeuvre the vessel is in itself a reward for all the hard work I’ve done to get to this point.”