My life at sea

Fr Guy Pasquier is both a priest and a seafarer. As he prepares for his final voyage, he shares his experience of life at sea.

Fr Guy Pasquier

I am a seafarer priest, 59 years old, and I have lived this life for 14 years. I was asked by my Church and AOS France to undertake this form of ministry which has existed since 1950. Today I am the last seafarer priest and I will soon retire. On joining my ship for the last time in July 2007, I am sending a call to the Church asking that this ministry be taken up in other countries.

A ship’s course is straight but the my professional course has been chaotic. Between 1993 and 2000, I did not have any job security and there were periods of unemployment. I had some contracts with French companies but I also worked under flags of convenience. Conditions included two contracts of seven months length; sailing in all kinds of ships such as containers, ro-ro ships and oil and gas tankers; and sailing with mixed crews, among them Africans, Indians, Filipinos, Chileans, Bulgarians, Russians, Romanians and many others. I was never sure of being hired again. In short, I shared the usual conditions of many seafarers.

Since the year 2000, I have had a steady job in a ship management and manning company. I am an electrician onboard an LPG (liquid petroleum gas) tanker with a capacity of 80,000 cubic metres. The ship makes long voyages under a French flag (2nd register). My job consists of maintenance and repair work of the very large equipment used for mechanical propulsion, electrical power, and gas reliquefaction. The crew consists of six French and 16 Romanian seafarers.

The modern maritime world

It is more and more difficult for seafarers to go ashore, impossible in some countries

I would like to explain something of the complexity of the maritime world. These days, identifying a ship owner is very complicated. Each ship is part of a financial operation through which it can be difficult to trace the real owner. The connection between owner, flag and country does not exist anymore. Today 60% of the world’s merchant fleet sails under flags of convenience. That means less respect for regulation and fierce competition. Concerns for seafarers’ welfare carry little weight.

Port terminals are a long way from city centres. Loading and unloading operations must be accomplished quickly. It is more and more difficult for seafarers to go ashore, impossible in some countries such as those of the Persian Gulf. You cannot set foot on a US quay without a visa. The ISPS code, established following the terrorist attacks against the USA in 2001, governs port safety conditions and serious limits seafarers’ rights of access.

Life onboard

There is an absolute necessity for relaxation and escape from oppressive surroundings

Onboard ship, safety regulations stipulate a minimum level of crew. When my ship is in port there are also inspections by oil companies considering chartering the ship and by port authorities checking the condition of safety equipment and testing the capacity of the crew to respond to emergencies. We support these safety measures as they mean that the ship is well maintained. But this kind of ship, which makes long voyages, calls at ports infrequently. As a result of the repeated inspections, it is rare that we are able to go ashore.

Add to this the daily routine: engine maintenance, managing the provisions stores, handling waste. Time is short and everybody onboard is very busy. Many seafarers now say that the ship is like a prison from which there is no escape for leisure or relaxation. If working relationships are not good, everybody is nervous and work becomes problematic. Clearly there is an absolute necessity for relaxation and escape from oppressive surroundings.

There is so much pressure on seafarers when onboard a ship. Repeated inspections mean that the ship must be in perfect order. Each of us must do our best to meet all the obligations and requirements. Every effort is made to prepare for emergency situations. But not enough attention is given to personal issues. There are the unlucky “weak links”, seafarers who fall ill or suffer nervous breakdowns or who are judged incompetent. It is the defining characteristic of a ship that everyone onboard, from captain to ordinary seaman, has an essential role. If one of us makes a mistake, everyone is affected. During the last year, with each contract, I have seen two or three seafarers routinely dismissed.

The captain, chief engineer and chief mate are particularly under pressure due to such fears as financial loss or the risk of pollution. The smallest technical problems, delays or mistakes are reported to the shipping company. If an individual seafarer is considered culpable, there will be sanctions against him. This is the harsh and pitiless system which operates onboard ship today.

Challenges and rewards

Sharing, encountering and communicating: these words encapsulate my life onboard

The life of a seafarer is both demanding and exciting. It is demanding because of all the challenges and the frustrations: far from your friends, family and country. Separation from loved ones is difficult to accept and endure. Indians and Filipinos say that they sacrifice themselves for their families in working long contracts. Phone and email can help but it is never easy. I know seafarers who could not endure the heartbreak and chose to stop sailing. While a seafarer is at sea, there may be family problems at home. It can make life onboard unbearable and leave the seafarer feeling miserable.

And yet I feel it is an exciting and enriching life. As human beings we work together and grow in humanity. Crews are usually mixed which could be very difficult if differences of race, language and culture created animosity among seafarers. In general though, there is a sense of fellowship and solidarity in the face of difficulty. I consider myself lucky to lead such a life. Sharing, encountering and communicating: these words encapsulate my life onboard as a shipmate and a disciple of Christ. Maybe I have given a little but I have received so much more from all seafarers I have met on my way. In all their diversity, they have helped me to be more human.

Seafarers have many hopes. Firstly, they hope for better salaries and more overtime to supplement this salary. The root of this concern is that they want their families to lead a better life. Secondly they hope for shorter contracts to ease the pain of separation and improve relationships with their families. We also ask for better communications facilities and for port authorities to arrange for transport into town. Finally, but importantly, we ask that safety regulations should not restrict seafarers’ rights when ashore as has happened with the ISPS code.

Respect

We have the right to be treated better than the cargo which our ships carry.

I think that all this can be summarised in one word: respect. We have the right to be treated better than the cargo which our ships carry. Much depends on shipping companies, manning agencies and governments. We have great hope for the Consolidated Maritime Convention. Port authorities also have an important role in assisting seafarers’ welfare associations to provide their services.

In the modern maritime world, seafarers face globalisation and a destructive free market economy. The international seafarers’ unions, represented by the ITF, give valuable protection. Our Churches are present and active in denouncing abuses and supporting victims. I am happy, as a priest, to contribute to this fight.

The maritime world is also the place where different cultures, peoples and religions mix. It is an experiment in a new kind of humanity in which people learn to live together with their differences and in mutual respect. It is right that the ministry of the Church is active in what is emerging in this world, working to promote human dignity. Is not it related to the building of the Kingdom?