Port Reports

Our chaplains support seafarers in ports around the world. These updates offer a snapshot of their recent work.

Revd Dilce de Oliveira, Port Açu, Brazil
Getting on board is not always easy here. At one terminal, we depend on the captain’s permission to visit, and the emails we send rarely receive a reply. Most requests come from ships we have served before, usually for transport so crews can take shore leave. While we cannot deliver goods on board, we always fulfil transport requests, and in July we took 26 seafarers ashore.

Helen Glenn, Halifax, Canada
In April, one particularly moving moment came when a supporter contacted me about her grandfather, Canon Brinley Williams, who served as Halifax port chaplain from 1955 to 1970 and built the chapel altar. I was delighted to find his photograph and memorial plaque in our chapel. His family are set to visit the Mission, including his daughter, on her 90th birthday.

This is evidence of the personal impact the Mission makes not only in the lives of those we work directly with, but their wider family too.

Revd Canon Stephen Thanapaul, Tuticorin, India
Restricted shore leave is a recurring concern for seafarers we meet. One able seafarer from Myanmar told me how much he wanted to visit Tuticorin, but was unable, “I love India, so beautiful. But I do not have shore leave.”

I also supported two welfare cases, helping seafarers pursue unpaid wages and severance pay. Meanwhile, our family support work continues, with 92 students attending three tuition centres.

Monica Park, Busan, South Korea
A highlight in July was the visit of HRH The Princess Royal. I was one of 16 people from the maritime community invited to meet her, and she showed interest in our work. We also celebrated Sea Sunday at our Flying Angel Seafarers’ Centre with Holy Communion, followed by refreshments with those attending.

Access to ships has been a challenge here, but we have made progress: with help from Busan Customs, we can now request permission to board some vessels ourselves.

Misaki Iwai, Tokyo, Japan
Members of The “Seafarers’ Human Rights Now Japan” have joined me for ship visits, which allows us to cover a wider area. They all have seafaring experience, which helps create a strong sense of camaraderie, encouraging seafarers to share their thoughts freely.

It was encouraging to revisit a silica sand carrier that we’d been on board during the Christmas season. I was surprised to find that one of the seafarers remembered our previous visit. It’s concerning to hear that an overwhelming majority of young seafarers say they do not intend to continue their careers at sea. The primary reason is family separation, but salary is also an issue as the job comes with a harsh and dangerous working environment.