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Sergiu Valentin Samsonov works two months on, two months off. That really suits him and his wife and daughter. Once home, he spends a lot of time with his family and his relatives.

'Before I joined MF Shipping Group, I worked on tramp vessels. That meant I was away from home for four or five months at a time. It was very complicated, especially for my daughter. She was always upset when I called home, and she wouldn't come to the phone. Now I'm away for two months at a time and home for two months. That's much better for my daughter, and for my wife too. There's also a big financial benefit with this job: I continue being paid when I'm at home. That used not to be the case, so then I had four months without any income.

Unwinding When I get home from a voyage, I first give my wife and daughter a big hug. Then I go to the hairdresser – also very important! – because after two months on board, I really need a haircut. I always need a few days to unwind, to get used to the silence, to the peace and quiet, to the fact that work isn't going on 24 hours a day.

Not there for her birth I really enjoy spending lots of time at home with my family and with my wife and daughter. I help around the house and I do some repairs – my wife always has a list of things that need fixing. On school days, our daughter goes to childcare in the morning, and in the afternoon I take her to the playground and I play with her at home. Yes, I like to spoil her. That's logical I think, because I miss a lot of her childhood. I wasn’t there for her birth, for example. I’d been unexpectedly called on board, and I would have missed out on promotion if I hadn't gone. So I only got to see my daughter when she was seven weeks old. I'm not usually there for her birthdays either, and I missed my father's funeral too. But I'm not complaining. I enjoy the work and I'm glad I can provide for my family financially. Just before I go back on board, I visit my relatives. And I go to the hairdresser again. I also prepare my daughter for my going away. But these days that's not such a problem for her, not even when I'm on board: we now call and app every day.

Will I keep doing this work until I retire? I think so. I don't have many options ashore. I could teach, but not in Romania – I wouldn't earn enough. That would only be possible in the Netherlands and then my wife and daughter would need to come to the Netherlands with me. I don’t think they’d want that.' ←

Sergiu Valentin Samsonov (38) has worked at sea for 13 years and has now been with MF Shipping Group for a year, as third mate. He serves on tankers, mainly around Britain and Ireland. He lives with his wife and five-year-old daughter in the Romanian port city of Constanța.