International Day of the Seafarer

25 Jun International Day of the Seafarer

In 2010, June 25^th was designated by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as the International Day of the Seafarer as a way to give thanks to seafarers, predominantly in the sea transport/cargo industry, for their contribution to the world economy and society in general, for their risks and personal sacrifices they bear while at work. Today, ALL seafarers – whether they be working on a cargo ship, a passenger ship, a fishing vessel, a tanker, a RoRo (Roll on Roll off), or High Speed Craft – all bear the same risks and sacrifices of being at sea, so this day is now in honour of all Seafarers around the world.

Learning to throw a waterfall in an “engine room” fire

Sea dangers

The major risks of working and living on a ship at sea are fire, piracy, collision and groundings. One of the most well-known maritime disasters in history is the sinking of the “unsinkable” ship – the RMS Titanic on 15 April 1912, losing 1522 souls. Whilst she was a senseless loss of innocent lives, there were some industry changing learnings from that event that have made safety regulations and training what they are today – making the lives of seafarers and passengers much safer. Some of the main findings were:

• the inadequate number of life boats onboard (she was meant to sail with 48 lifeboats but 28 survival craft were removed for aesthetic reasons so the deck looked less “cluttered”). The 20 lifeboats onboard could only accommodate 33% of the passengers and crew – which was technically legal at the time as the number of lifeboats required was based on the gross registered tonnage of a ship, not her passenger capacity;
• some of the life boats left the ship not at full capacity (one life boat left with only 12 people, despite having a capacity of 65, and they ignored cries of help for fear of being overwhelmed by desperate victims and capsizing!). 472 spaces went unused in the lifeboats that were successfully launched;
• there was not a requirement at the time that radio/wireless stations be monitored 24/7 so the initial “May Day” was not picked up immediately;
• there was almost enough lifejackets for every passenger, but even if you were lucky to receive one, you would have only lasted up to 5 minutes in the icy -2 degs C/28 degs F waters of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Learning survival at sea techniques

Despite the changes that have been implemented to ensure the Titanic doesn’t happen again, if an incident was to arise at sea, it would be a very terrifying experience indeed. Whilst many crew onboard the ship cringe when Crew Drills are on our daily schedule – sometimes impacting on our time off from duty – it really is an important practice to go through to ensure our best chances of survival in the event of a real-life emergency, when panic can set in for many and all training goes out the window! After recently completing a safety at sea course, I take abandon ship drills much more seriously as if we really did have to abandon a ship, I don’t want a repeat of the Titanic happening to me or my ship family around me!

Sea sacrifices 

Family visit to the Ship’s Bridge

Speaking of family, being away from your real shoreside family and friends is one of the biggest sacrifice of all Seafarers working on ships. While we are working hard to deliver a commodity to another port on cargo ships, making an enjoyable memorable cruise for guests on passenger ships or hauling in a catch of fresh seafood for consumption on fishing vessels, we miss many milestones by working away – babies being born, baby’s first steps, first days at school, weddings, funerals, birthdays….not to mention all the things you take for granted when you are living a life off a ship – eating when you want (instead of during set meal times), cooking your own food and being in control of all the ingredients, having privacy (instead of sharing a cabin), time to yourself (like completely alone), fast (and cheap) wifi and what I particularly miss…..walking on grass with no shoes on! Working on a cruise ship, I see some entitled guests blow up at my fellow colleagues because the wine didn’t come to the table fast enough or the soup was not hot enough – remember, that crew member is already doing it pretty tough being away from all their favourite things just to provide you with a service so you have a good time. Just a friendly reminder to please put a little perspective into the situation 🙂

Sea pleasures 

Driving a zodiac in College Fjord, Alaska (Photo: Jennifer Fought)

Working on a ship is not for everyone. A lot of people are here simply just for the money and this is nothing more than a job to them. But I personally am here because I genuinely enjoy being at sea, the travel and my actual job of driving zodiacs! I love the motion of the ocean, the sunsets & sunrises at sea and I enjoy waking up in a new location each day. I love not having commute time to and from work (I literally roll out of bed, get changed and I’m at work). My number one work tool is a zodiac. And I get to have up-close encounters with incredible landscapes and wildlife I would never have seen if I had stayed at home. This is my idea of pure bliss.

Message to a Seafarers loved ones

Being stuck on a ship affects your mood in so many ways – it’s called the Bubble Effect. Inside this Bubble, all situations and emotions blow up bigger than they would if you were on land and seem out of control. Our reactions may be out of character. The way “time” works is different – while only a day has passed in real time, inside the Bubble it feels like 3 days. We sit in wait for responses that may never come because you are busy at home, but we are clinging on to your response and when it might come so we can still feel connected to home. You are our biggest support but we will be the meanest to you because you are the closest to us – and I apologise in advance on the behalf of your Seafarer’s sad & mad raging mood swings, but just know that we love you the most! Please smile and nod at whatever we say while we are away – when we get home, give us some space and soon we will be back to normal, I promise XO

Team spirit in our zodiacs (Photo: Aidan Klimenko)

Message to a new Seafarer

I think the grass is always greener – there are many cons with Ship Life – but my mindset is always to make the most of your current situation. So, I do my best to push past the negatives and embrace all the good things. Whilst I have no escape from the people or situations that bring my spirits down, I just have to focus on the good people I do have around me and the reasons why I am working on a ship. My personal priority is travel, being immersed in nature and collecting memorable experiences – and I get this in my every day, so this lifestyle suits me to a T! Remember what your reason is for being onboard, do not waste energy on things/people that you cannot control and be positive. Be happy and kind to those who are kind and happy back to you. Never let your bad day make it a bad day for another. And I just learnt, there are Seafarers Missions in almost 200 ports around the world. If you need a hideaway, look them up – they offer a safe place to go and read, access internet, they can give you a cup of tea, a snack and a friendly smile. Sometimes all we need is just another human to wish us a good day  🙂

Message to a seasoned Seafarer

Memorial to all Mariners who have lost their lives at sea – Prince Rupert, BC

All of us who work at sea will be connected forever from all the good times and the challenging times we experience together. I know for my industry we will always be connected by certain ship lingo like “amazing!”; “bananas”; “kakaria”; “schluck”; “babalu” and the song “Desposito”! There will be single stand-out events that will make an entire contract memorable which we will reminisce about for years to come. And we will all cross paths again in the future either on another ship, or hopefully visiting each other in our home countries & towns to laugh and cry together about our time onboard. #shiplife #shipfamily #wearefamily

Ironically, as I attempted to upload this blog post in the small port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada, I discovered that Charles Hays who had grand plans for this port city (incorporated in 1910) including berthing facilities for large passenger ships and development of a major tourism industry, perished on the RMS Titanic! Seems eerily appropriate to pay tribute to Seafarers and a life at sea with this post whilst in the port of Prince Rupert today.

If you have any experiences you would like to share about working or traveling at sea; or advice from one Seafarer to another; or advice from a loved one waiting at home for their Seafarer to return; please add to the comments section at the bottom of this post – would love to hear from you! 🙂