Greek captain Antonis Moundes is among the 20,000 seafarers trapped in the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict between Iran and the US and Israel. Antonis Moundes is located in the “heart” of the Persian Gulf and states that the point where he has anchored is safe. “We’ve been here since the beginning when this whole situation started. It caught us at port. We proceeded with unloading and the work we had to do, and we’ve been here at the anchorage for about 10 days,” Captain Antonis Moundes told OPEN.
“We came to the Persian Gulf for unloading. We transported grain from Argentina. Two ports in the Gulf were scheduled – Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Our work was completed safely, thank God, because we didn’t know how we would handle it if something happened at port. Right now we’re waiting,” he noted.
Greek captain from Strait of Hormuz: “We’re doing fine for now compared to other ships”
There are 21 people on the ship and Mr. Moundes is the only Greek. “We were lucky with supplies because we had time to plan them at port. We were at port and managed to get provisions, so we moved quickly and the company was supportive. We’re doing fine for now compared to other ships,” he noted.
He clarified that “we take instructions from the company. Of course we have to pass through Hormuz to exit the Gulf, but we must follow the instructions they give us.” “Nobody knows what’s going to happen,” he said among other things, adding that “we’re in the middle of the war zone but essentially we don’t see anything. We’re far from land. Where we are, we’re safe. We’re safe, I have to admit. And after the bad weather that passed, we have a nice calm sea and we’re enjoying it for now.”
“There are ships around and there’s communication via VHF. They’re also waiting for instructions on how to handle the situation and how all this will develop. For now, what we’re trying to do is keep our morale at a good level and I think we’re managing just fine,” he stated. “My family, like every seafarer’s family, is waiting. There’s definitely some concern, but this is our job, this is our life. Just as we’ve been trained aboard ships, so have the people waiting for us been trained,” he emphasized.
“If necessary, we will certainly pass through the Strait”
Mr. Moundes said he’s waiting “but if necessary, we will certainly pass through the Strait. Our only operation is to follow the company’s instructions.” “We talk to neighboring ships. Nobody has a clear picture. Nobody has received instructions to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. We’re all waiting at anchorages in the Persian Gulf and waiting to see how the situation will develop,” he said.
“Our job is to serve the ships we board to work on. Beyond that, what we must do is maintain constant contact and communication with our company, charterers, and any other people involved in how we handle a ship. Of course we will follow after consultation and after a sense of proper handling and planning. From the moment we are seafarers aboard ships, I can tell you with certainty that we will follow instructions,” Mr. Moundes concluded.
