4 questions for Danube ship captain Radomir
Radomir Bobokovic, captain of the 4****Sup. MS Primadonna, knows his trade:
Born on 19 December 1968 in Kladovo, Serbia, he grew up in an old family of skippers. He was able to live out his fascination for ships for 15 years at the nautical school for sea and river shipping. After working for HP Novi Sad and DDSG Cargo, he began his Danube tourism career as captain of the excursion ship MS Kaiserin Elisabeth. Radomir has been 1st captain of the MS Primadonna since 2015.
In this interview, he tells us how he got his dream job, what his favourite section of the Danube is and how he spends his free time.
Dear captain, how do you get this dream job?
This involves hard work, knowledge of the route and, of course, a long period of training! It is important to remain in control of every situation on the ship.
Each of the 10 countries bordering the Danube is authorised to issue a captain's licence for ALL countries, i.e. for the entire length of the river from Kelheim. You get this after a nautical college (in my case in Belgrade), about 6 months' service as a sailor and then 540 sailing days as a helmsman without a licence, which another captain has to confirm in the skipper's service book. Then you start in a shipping company as a helmsman with a licence and after 3 to 4 years you can become a captain. At the beginning second or third captain.
What are the most interesting stretches of the Danube for you?
For me, this is the Schlögener Schlinge, as it makes a 180-degree bend, and the Iron Gate area. But the Hößgang between Linz and Vienna with the only traffic lights on the entire Danube is also exciting!
What do you associate with travelling to the Black Sea?
Many personal and formative memories. I grew up in a family of skippers directly on the Danube, and my career began in Belgrade. That's why I always look forward to travelling my home and training routes again. The breathtaking natural landscape and biodiversity in the Danube Delta are always fascinating.
How do you spend your free time?
My favourite place to be is in nature, hunting. That's where I can find peace and quiet. I am now a member of the Schlögen/Haibach ob der Donau hunting association. We are a very nice group of colleagues, including two female hunters. I also enjoy hunting in my home town of Kladovo. On warmer days, I spend a lot of time travelling on my bike. Incidentally, I'm not only on duty when the Primadonna is travelling, but also, for example, during the winter break from January to March after the season. That's when I supervise the winter work.
