Portrait: Murat

He usually works in the background: Murat Muriq from the maintenance team makes sure that everything works before the ship sets sail.

At seven o'clock, the ship still belongs to him alone. Murat unlocks the door, switches on the lights and checks the logbook. Are there any error messages or damage? He repairs small things himself, but reports larger defects.

Murat is part of the maintenance team at Zugersee Schifffahrt. He is the jetty keeper - responsible for the service jetty where the ships are moored. He also takes care of the railway jetty in Zug when something is not working.

His second home
It's slowly getting light outside and the mountains can be seen on the horizon. "There's nothing better than opening the boat in the morning and looking at the horizon," he says. "The boat is almost my second home." He knows the people who come by the harbour every morning, the fishermen. They greet each other - it's like a community.

During the season, he prepares the boats for the day, instructs the cleaning staff, checks materials and reorders if necessary. He checks the water treatment, changes the water filter every week and cleans the boat inside and out. "We know every corner and every edge that needs to be cleaned," he says.

He also visits the engine room, listens and checks that everything is in its place on board. He keeps two storage rooms tidy, repairs and organises. In winter, he carries out maintenance work together with his colleagues. Every room - from the lower deck to the wheelhouse - is thoroughly cleaned, parquet floors and wooden tables are sanded and oiled. The team works together with various craftsmen. But Murat's favourite part is painting: "When I can paint and decorate, I'm in my element."

He knows every move
He has been back at Zugersee Schifffahrt since 2013, having previously worked here for several years. Trained as a technical draughtsman, he learnt many of the trades directly on the ship. He is only satisfied at the end of the day when everything is done. "I don't leave my workplace until everything is in order. I achieve all of this thanks to the support of my line manager and my work colleagues."

On his days off, Murat likes to go on excursions with his wife and son, for example to Lucerne. Sometimes he goes for a walk by the lake, has a coffee and looks out towards the mountains. Just like every morning, when the boat is his alone again.