Reality Check: 6 Struggles of Seafarers

How does seafarers' lives look like?

Travel the world for free and earn dollars! Sounds nice. Yes, seafarers have chosen this job because they earn dollars, and they can stretch that money in their home country.

Apart from that, there are some benefits to being a seafarer, like a tax-free salary for Filipinos, the ability to explore famous countries and landmarks across the globe, access to complimentary food and accommodations on board, and the opportunity to forge friendships with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

But what if I tell you that there are many things happening beyond every social media post and story they recount in public? 

In the Philippines, for example, seafarers are attractive to people because of the salary that is higher than that of an average Filipino. 

However, very few understand and are aware of the modern challenges that seafarers face.

Despite all measures taken by companies and maritime organizations to ensure the safety and well-being of seafarers, the challenges they face remain significant. 

From isolation to dangerous working conditions, these individuals endure hardships that often go unnoticed by the general public.

In this article, you will explore the various challenges that seafarers encounter in their line of work and gain a deeper understanding of the sacrifices they make to make ends meet for their family, reach their personal dreams, and keep global trade flowing smoothly.

By shedding light on these issues, we can better understand their plight and work towards creating a more supportive and sustainable environment for seafarers worldwide.

6 Present Struggles of Seafarers

Struggle 1: Mental Health and Isolation

Contracts at sea normally run three to six months for ship officers and nine months for ratings. During this time, they will have to interact with people from varied cultural backgrounds and behaviors.

Some of their crew mates or supervisors may yell at them, gossip with others, mock them because of their position, or name call based on appearance or gender preference.

Dealing with these unprofessional attitudes and bad behavior onboard, however, is difficult because they are actually living with their crew mates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and any unresolved issues can harm their mental health.

Some seafarers say that dealing with bad behavior and being isolated is part of the job they're paid for.

Despite the presence of support organizations, some seafarers opt to remain silent out of fear that shipboard management will perceive them as weak and vulnerable.

The stigma around mental health in the maritime profession might deter seafarers from seeking the assistance they require, resulting in additional isolation and potential severe repercussions.

If you are a seafarer or know someone who is, you can seek assistance from your trusted supervisor, the shore office, or groups like the International Seafarers' Welfare & Assistance Network (ISWAN), The Mission to Seafarers, and the International Transport Federation (ITF).

These organizations offer confidential support and services to seafarers dealing with mental health challenges, ensuring that they get the help they deserve.

Remember that getting help is a sign of strength, and taking care of one's mental health is essential for a successful career at sea.

Struggle 2: Work-Life Balance and Fatigue

Business is business, as they say; therefore, turnaround times from loading port to discharging port can be short, leaving little opportunity for relaxation or personal time.

There are times when they must work for more than eight hours before and while berthing in port since shipboard management frequently disregards rest hours in favor of the necessary preparation.

In other cases, they will participate in washing cargo holds for 8-10 hours per day for a few days to a week after discharging.

This can be physically and mentally exhausting because it entails shoveling and dumping quite a bit of cargo residue, cleaning the bilge wells, climbing the corrugated bulkhead, hosing down the cargo hold, access areas, and hatch covers.

The list of tough situations onboard continues on and on, including resolving engine room alarms, overhauling, bunkering, pilotage, deck washing, 8-12 hour port watches for cargo operations, and so on.

This ongoing loop of extended working hours and unexpected schedules frequently results in exhaustion and less time to engage with their family and tackle their personal tasks that move the needle.

The stressful nature of working onboard has a negative influence on their physical and mental health, reducing their overall quality of life and capacity to rest and recharge adequately.

However, shipboard management, shipping companies, businesses, and local ports may be able to arrange a time to mitigate the impact of these challenges by implementing better scheduling practices, providing adequate rest periods, and providing support services to seafarers in order to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Struggle 3: Safety Concerns and Regulatory Compliance

Seafarers say that when they join a vessel, one of their feet is in the grave because they will be living in a floating metal structure that has safety risks.

To illustrate this, there are some real-life accounts that have circulated on ships in the past:

1. A seafarer broke his back, sustained injuries, and was permanently disabled because the captain instructed him and the bosun to seal the watertight door in the forecastle despite green water gushing over the main deck.
2. After forgetting to turn off the crane's electrical power during reception of provisions, a seafarer suffered a head injury from a slewing handle, a manual control used to rotate or slew the crane's boom. It abruptly rotated, flew into his head without a helmet, and fractured his skull, resulting in his death.

Safety risks and near-miss incidents are not uncommon in the maritime industry. 

To avoid tragic events like this one, all activities, including mooring and unmooring, receiving provisions, washing the deck and cargo holds, working in bad weather, and so on, should be carried out with extreme caution and attention to safety regulations.

On the one hand, commercial and business pressures are constant, but everyone onboard must still prioritize safety. 

A seafarer is a human and has only one life, which no amount of money or insurance can ever replace.

To ensure a safe working environment and prevent unnecessary loss of life, all crew members must prioritize safety above all else by not shouting, maintaining composure and situational awareness, not panicking on every task, conducting proper training through safety drills, displaying visible equipment instructions, maintaining equipment standards, and staying vigilant for their fellow workers.

Struggle 4: Poor Internet Connectivity

The internet has made the globe more linked than ever before, but does it speak for seafarers? They were instrumental in the development of the internet by delivering necessary equipment and resources.

However, some of them continue to be deprived of what people on land enjoy because shipping companies are slashing expenditures for onboard internet, providing them only a pitiful 35 MB to 250 MB per day of Wi-Fi data allowance; it is sometimes fast and frequently slow.

Those who have unlimited internet and navigate near coastal areas are fortunate since they can receive a decent signal for their smartphones.

Poor internet connectivity can cause them feelings of isolation, an inability to make headway in life owing to restricted online resources, and a disconnect from loved ones back home, all of which have an influence on the mental health and well-being of seafarers who spend lengthy amounts of time at sea.

International maritime agencies must strictly enforce regulations governing the provision of free, reasonable, and unlimited internet access from emerging solutions like satellite connectivity.

Shipping companies, too, should prioritize offering free, reliable, and unlimited internet connectivity for the benefit of their sea-based employees.

Struggle 5: Strict Medical Examinations and Endless Job Requirements and Training

After getting a communication from the employer, seafarers must leave their families to undertake medical examinations and trainings that might span from a few days to weeks.

They frequently have to organize their bulky licenses and certificates, documentation, and vaccination cards.

Filipinos, for example, particularly those from the provinces, must use their own savings from previous contracts to fly to Cebu and Manila.

From 2020-2022, they had to obtain additional travel permits because of the pandemic, which made their plight worse. 

Aside from that, transportation is limited, so they chose airplanes with astronomical fares and taxis, which cost them a lot of money.

There is also some unfair privilege because some shipping companies only provide free transportation to ship officers, leaving ship ratings, or those in the lowest section of the ship hierarchy, to bear their own transportation costs.

This gap in treatment compounds the financial strain that Filipino seafarers already bear, making it much more difficult for them to save money for their family back home.

On the one hand, medical tests are becoming more stringent as some flag states and entities need more comprehensive health screenings to protect the safety and well-being of seafarers on board.

This can be viewed as a positive move in terms of emphasizing seafarers' health, but it also increases their financial burden because they must cover the price of these additional medical examinations.

On the other hand, the lack of standardized medical requirements across different countries and companies can lead to confusion and inconsistency for seafarers.

This inconsistency not only adds to their financial burden but also creates challenges in meeting varying health standards while working on different vessels.

Additionally, the varying medical requirements may also result in delays in employment for Filipino seafarers, as they may need to undergo multiple examinations to meet different standards.

The issues related to medical examinations and trainings highlight the need for greater international cooperation and standardization in medical requirements as well as training for seafarers to ensure their safety and well-being while reducing unnecessary financial burdens.

Struggle 6: Lesser and No Time Ashore

Seafarers were known to travel the world for free, especially in the past, but when the pandemic struck, everything changed because many countries around the world restricted entry and exit across their borders, administered COVID-19 tests, and implemented social distancing.

That resulted in no shore leave or time ashore, unexpected extensions on working contracts, and crew-change complications, which delayed seafarers' embarkation and disembarkation.

Things have improved and are back to normal in terms of crew changes and employment contracts, but border controls and more strict shore leave requirements remain.

Previously, you could go outside by simply showing a copy of your passport and a shore leave form, but now some countries, such as China and Japan, have made it difficult for seafarers to go outside because the captain must request permission from the company and communicate with the ship's agent to allow them to spend time ashore.

Because of these additional regulations, there is greater friction in the seafarers' going ashore process, resulting in frustration and restricted opportunity for relaxation during port calls.

So they've merely adjusted from that idea and spend their free time in port just sleeping in their cabins and browsing the internet with a local SIM card.

International maritime organizations, shipping firms, flag states, and local port authorities should collaborate to improve the process of seafarers coming ashore, ensuring that relevant permits are secured effectively to reduce delays and dissatisfaction.

This will boost seafarers' morale and well-being and allow them to make the most of their limited free time during port calls.

Conclusion

Seafarers are an essential part of global trade and the economy.

They are humans too, with struggles that often go unnoticed by the general public, so it is important for everyone to recognize these challenges and work together to make their lives easier while they are away from home.

By showing them compassion and giving them practical help to address those struggles, we can show our appreciation for their hard work and dedication to keeping the world economy moving.

Disclaimer

Better Seafarer presents content based on the knowledge and experiences of seafarers, properly attributing it to academic and online sources, when applicable. Better Seafarer makes no claims about the accuracy, timeliness, compatibility, or validity of the content, and the website cannot be held responsible for any errors, losses, injuries, or damages that may arise from the use of the offered information. Only for instructional and learning purposes is the articles meant. You should always abide by the rules set forth by your company, the appropriate authorities, or the manufacturers of any relevant equipment. This content should not be used in place of required instructions or training courses, but rather to supplement them.