# The Life of a Modern Sailor



## JoK (Nov 12, 2006)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/8273847/Sea-no-evil-the-life-of-a-modern-sailor.html


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

JoK said:


> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/8273847/Sea-no-evil-the-life-of-a-modern-sailor.html


i go make look-see, but link no worky - savvy


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## blobbybluey (Apr 22, 2006)

Satanic Mechanic said:


> i go make look-see, but link no worky - savvy


you need to copy+paste the link into ypur browser ,good article although most of us are already aware of what is going on rgds(Thumb)


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## doyll (Mar 9, 2007)

This link should work

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/8273847/Sea-no-evil-the-life-of-a-modern-sailor.html


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

A bit overblown to be honest - but nice to see someone recognises there are very real problems. 

Also pretty much answers why there is such a massive manning problem at sea. Honestly who wants to live like that(Sad)


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## Nick Balls (Apr 5, 2008)

Houston we have an Image problem ! Not news to us I know but.............
Its one extreme to the other........an article well overblown is about right. I spent the last few years I was able to go to sea encouraging young people into a VERY GOOD career! Now that I am unable, it is driving me mad that I continue to see good lads and lassies who would make excellent seafarers, yet have no means by which they have any ability to understand what is involved. The UK is indeed blind to the world of seafaring and we see countless examples of 'authority' also having this misunderstanding. Put this together with the press and stories of death destruction, piracy, rape and starvation and most young people run a mile! Luckily the few that do still come forward and get to work with reputable outfits are amazed by the skills, technology, and life style that many people at sea still enjoy. Its a da*m good job !


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## JoK (Nov 12, 2006)

are they overblown though? Reading it and other articles I have seen, it is not the Canadians, Brits, Germans that are being victimised.
And watching the container and tankers they are in and out in a matter of hours and with the overblown security in some ports, the crew can't get off.

The work is appallingly tough, we deal with rough conditions, it is nothing to work 18-20 hours if it is going to hell. 
Everyone I know my age who went to sea, has bad knees and hips and their back is gone.


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## JoK (Nov 12, 2006)

doyll said:


> This link should work
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/8273847/Sea-no-evil-the-life-of-a-modern-sailor.html


thanks for fixing the link, I don't know why that happened, I followed the steps in order...


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

JoK said:


> are they overblown though? Reading it and other articles I have seen, it is not the Canadians, Brits, Germans that are being victimised.
> And watching the container and tankers they are in and out in a matter of hours and with the overblown security in some ports, the crew can't get off.
> 
> The work is appallingly tough, we deal with rough conditions, it is nothing to work 18-20 hours if it is going to hell.
> Everyone I know my age has bad knees and hips and their back is gone.


It is doing the usual paper thing of taking the worst case and holding it up as normal. Very unfair on the quality companies out there. That notwithstanding - the examples they use should not happen, but neither is it a new story.

In between the hyperbole of the story there is however glimpses of problems that affect all those at sea - lonliness, no shore leave, no recreation, long hours and of course the now chronic manning shortage.

I'm happy I left full time at sea when I did - I just wasn't enjoying it anymore. But I was sorry it went that way, but it is better than being trapped there.


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## Pat Kennedy (Apr 14, 2007)

I've been trying to persuade my grandson, aged 15, to join the Merchant Navy, for a few years now. 
He loved the stories of my life at sea, but I had to tell him that its not like that anymore, so he considered the Royal Navy. Not impressed with what he sees there, with all the recent cuts and so on, he is ready to give up on it.
He said to me last week, 'I wish I was American, grandad, they've got a proper navy.'


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## JoK (Nov 12, 2006)

I did a brief stint FG over 20 years ago, then went back coastal, then ashore. 
Can't really say I miss the hours and being away, though every once in awhile I get the bug for a whole 5 seconds. 
I missed too much of a normal life as it was.


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## John N MacDonald (Apr 1, 2008)

I sailed as a passenger on 3 containerships all owned by different companies. All were German. The crew on the first one were Filipino I believe employed by NSB the ships owner. They all appeared happy with their lot and their conditions. The crew of the 2nd ship were also Filipino and again a happy crowd though their accommodation wasn't up to the standards of the NSB ship but was still good. They and the officers were supplied by a Cypriot agency which I believe was German owned.
The 3rd crew were Sri Lankan and again supplied by an agency based in Sri Lanka. Again they were a happy crew. The Bosun told me his wages were extremely good for a Sri Lankan seaman.
The 3rd mate of the 2nd ship was Filipino who had started as an Ordinary seaman told me a few horror stories about some of the companies he had worked for and if I'd treated a dog the way he'd been treated I'd have got a few years care of HM! He also said that the nationality that treated the crew the worst seemed to be Italian and his best officers were a mix of UK Norwegian on a tanker.


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## Nick Balls (Apr 5, 2008)

Pat,
Still some very interesting jobs, especially on ships built for specialist operations.
Diving, cable laying, pipe laying, offshore support and survey. Good pay, good terms of conditions ( 1on 1 off) and lots of high class high equipment to learn about.(Job satisfaction) I would concur that the 'problems' facing even this part of the industry are hours of work and lack of in port time which can lead to other problems related to the 'social side' Yes very different from a large crewed general cargo vessel of the 1960's but many things a lot better! and still a lot of fun to be had !!!!


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## James_C (Feb 17, 2005)

If someone is interested in working in the offshore sector then they'd be far better getting onto the rigs.
Wages are better, time off is better, trips shorter and the levels of social interaction/activity are much the same (i.e. non existent).

Regards Deep Sea (or indeed what's left of it) the general situation is pretty dire on most ships - no social interaction, a league of nations onboard, poor levels of competence (just as common in Brits now too), ever increasing criminalisation and petty regulation, poor wages, no shore leave and long hours.
There are still a few 'good' companies out there which treat you like adults and pay you a decent wage, but they're getting ever rarer.

"most modern day seafarers are prisoners with a salary" - a comment that is to my mind absolutely spot on, indeed the chances of a modern Seaman seeing the inside of a prison have steadily increased over the years.


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Nick Balls said:


> Pat,
> Still some very interesting jobs, especially on ships built for specialist operations.
> Diving, cable laying, pipe laying, offshore support and survey. Good pay, good terms of conditions ( 1on 1 off) and lots of high class high equipment to learn about.(Job satisfaction) I would concur that the 'problems' facing even this part of the industry are hours of work and lack of in port time which can lead to other problems related to the 'social side' Yes very different from a large crewed general cargo vessel of the 1960's but many things a lot better! and still a lot of fun to be had !!!!


What he says. (Thumb)

Forget about standard cargo vessels unless you are really into pugatory in a big way.

specialised vessels are much more interesting and can be fun to boot.


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## stein (Nov 4, 2006)

I own a book called "Such things happen at Sea" (Slikt Hender Ombord) from 1962, it's police reports from what was considered the golden age of Norwegian shipping. It's murder and mayhem, rape and vandalism, on every page. Probably all of it true, but reading it in this way collected does give a wrong impression.


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## BarnacleGrim (Aug 7, 2010)

John N MacDonald said:


> He also said that the nationality that treated the crew the worst seemed to be Italian and his best officers were a mix of UK Norwegian on a tanker.


That's interesting. I was given one example of an accident happening when a Filipino mate didn't feel comfortable correcting his Italian superior, but I don't remember the name of the ship.


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## Ray Mac (Sep 22, 2007)

James_C said:


> If someone is interested in working in the offshore sector then they'd be far better getting onto the rigs.
> Wages are better, time off is better, trips shorter and the levels of social interaction/activity are much the same (i.e. non existent).
> 
> Regards Deep Sea (or indeed what's left of it) the general situation is pretty dire on most ships - no social interaction, a league of nations onboard, poor levels of competence (just as common in Brits now too), ever increasing criminalisation and petty regulation, poor wages, no shore leave and long hours.
> ...


Could not agree more, ps I was not a part time seaman(Thumb)

Ray


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## Pat McCardle (Jun 12, 2005)

Nick Balls said:


> Pat,
> Still some very interesting jobs, especially on ships built for specialist operations.
> Diving, cable laying, pipe laying, offshore support and survey. Good pay, good terms of conditions ( 1on 1 off) and lots of high class high equipment to learn about.(Job satisfaction) I would concur that the 'problems' facing even this part of the industry are hours of work and lack of in port time which can lead to other problems related to the 'social side'
> 
> That's why we have the same time OFF, plenty of time then to take in the sights[=P](Thumb)


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## Hamish Mackintosh (Jan 5, 2006)

JoK said:


> I did a brief stint FG over 20 years ago, then went back coastal, then ashore.
> Can't really say I miss the hours and being away, though every once in awhile I get the bug for a whole 5 seconds.
> I missed too much of a normal life as it was.


A story on the state of our coastal (British)industry would be interesting,to equate the changes that have transpired since the days of Kelly boats, Steve Clarke,and Everards, I did most of my sea time "ON the coast"way back in the early fifties


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## Monket (Mar 8, 2007)

16 hour days
Multinational crews.
One night ashore every six weeks.

Yep, that was my life as a deck boy on a Norwegian tanker in 1956.


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## John N MacDonald (Apr 1, 2008)

BarnacleGrim, my brother in law was on an Italian ship with Italian Officers and Filipino crew and told me that some of the officers treated the crew like something that was brought in on the sole of their shoe but some treated the crew very well. Unfortunately the bullies were at the top of the ladder!


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## muldonaich (Nov 19, 2005)

John N MacDonald said:


> BarnacleGrim, my brother in law was on an Italian ship with Italian Officers and Filipino crew and told me that some of the officers treated the crew like something that was brought in on the sole of their shoe but some treated the crew very well. Unfortunately the bullies were at the top of the ladder!


somethings never change john kv.


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