flying angel news issue 2

Flying Angel News

News from The Mission to Seafarers | Autumn 2011 | Issue 2

A friend in need: Mission tackles loneliness at sea

• MtS reception remembers captive seafarers

• Mission staff trained by HMS Cornwall crew

• 30,000 show support for seafaring

• Chaplain puts dying man in touch with home

• Rally trio travel 10,000 miles for Mission

• From disaster to celebration in Limassol

IN THIS

ISSUE

Caring for seafarers around the world

Charity numbers: 212432 / SC039211

President: HRH The Princess RoyalChairman: Robert Woods CBE Secretary General: The Revd Tom Heffer

St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London EC4R 2RL

Tel: +44 (0)20 7248 5202 Fax: +44 (0)20 7248 4761

Email: [email protected] Website: www.missiontoseafarers.org

Cover image: Jamie Smith

Founded in 1856 and entirely funded by voluntary donations, the Mission to Seafarers offers emergency assistance, practical support, and a friendly welcome to crews visiting 230 ports around the world.

Whether caring for victims of piracy or providing a lifeline to those stranded in foreign ports, we are there for the globe’s 1.2 million

merchant seafarers of all ranks, nationalities and beliefs.



Flying Angel News is published by The Mission to Seafarers

In the UK, The Mission to Seafarers is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, number: 6220240, registered charity no: 1123613. The Mission to Seafarers Scotland Limited is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland, number: 389483, registered charity in Scotland: SCO41938. Registered

office: 109 Avalon Gardens, Linlithgow Bridge, Linlithgow, West Lothian, EH49 7PL.

MtS events12th October 2011 Annual National Service for Seafarers, followed by MtS Supporters’ Reception

7th December 2011 A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols at St Michael Paternoster Royal,

followed by a reception at The Worshipful Company of Skinners

For more info about any of these events, contact Stuart Bell on 020 7246 2919 or at: [email protected]

Expeditions

1st-10th December First Kilimanjaro trek 21st-30th June 2012 Second Kilimanjaro trek

For more info about any of these events, contact us on: 020 7246 2939 or at: [email protected]

Dates for your diary

Adidas Half Marathon 11th March 2012Test your speed at Silver-stone! Okay, you won’t be as fast Lewis Hamilton, but then he has a car to go around in. Challenge yourself with a half mara-thon at this historic circuit in leafy Northamptonshire.

To find out more...Call Katherine on 020 7246 2939 or email [email protected]

Bupa 10,000 25th May 2012Enjoy the sights of London in springtime as you race alongside thousands of others. Do it in under 38 minutes and you could be in with a chance to win £2,000!

London 10k 8th July 2012Not only will you be raising money for a great cause, but you’ll get to run along the Olympic marathon course! What better way to celebrate London 2012?

Sign up now to guarantee your place!

Run the extra

mile for MtS

A Festival of Nine Lessons &

Carols

6.30pm7th December 2011

St Michael Paternoster Royal

For more information and to book a ticket, email:

[email protected] or call 020 7246 2919

Contents

The Revd Tom Heffer

Thank you!

Firstly, I want to thank everyone who wrote in with encouragement and suggestions for the new-look Flying Angel News. We were heartened that so many of you love the fresher format and want more of the same! In response, we’ve added extra pages to report more of the vital work all our hardworking friends do – and which you make possible in ports around the globe.

And so, welcome to your Autumn FAN. Here in the northern hemisphere, autumn brings huge ocean gales and biting cold. Seventy years ago, the Mission was there for the Arctic convoys who braved blitz and blizzard to keep Russia fed and Britain afloat. Churchill called it ‘the worst journey in the world’ but even without wartime horrors, ice and isolation still create a truly hostile environment for today’s seafarers, whether in the frozen north or the deepest South Atlantic.

Their blizzard is our ‘white Christmas’. As nights draw in and we enjoy the luxury of turning up our heating, it’s right to remember those who bring the fuel that keeps us cosy and warm. The glow of Christmas celebrations and gift-giving depends on those unseen people, battling the elements out in the dark and cold.

But because of your generous support, our chaplains and centre staff are there for them. There to help the worried father phone home, there to give presents on Christmas Eve, there to provide a convivial lunch at the centre, or just warm clothing for those caught unprepared. There for any seafarer who is left sad and lonely at this time of general joy.

There to care.A young rating in Mombasa told us recently: “Around the world,

the Mission gives us presents for Christmas. They came on board on Christmas Eve and asked: ‘How many crew?’ And they came back with 25 parcels, one for each of us. We opened them at sea on Christmas Day. We’re very glad of the Mission. They know what we need – shavers, books, woolly hats, chocolates. Little things – but they make you very happy.”

That happiness is your gift to seafarers. From little things to big things, like counselling for those bereaved, traumatised, or fighting suicidal despair, your marvellous support is what keeps the Mission on call for hundreds of thousands of seafarers sailing the world’s oceans. It is for them that the Mission exists, and it is to care for them that the Mission so gratefully relies on your continuing generosity and support.

I hope to see many of you at our joyful celebration of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in December, and I wish each of you a safe and happy Christmas. In Dickens’ famous words, “God bless us, every one!”

With my prayers and best wishes,

Secretary General

From the

In this issue...MtS shows leaders the human cost of piracyHRH Princess Royal joins MtS friends at Lambeth Palace

Loneliness of the long-distance marinerHave you ever felt lonely? Join the crowd...

www.missiontoseafarers.org 1

Treated like criminalsWhen a ship is arrested, it’s the innocent crew who suffer most

Mission news 2 • Lambeth Palace reception: MtS shows human cost of piracy• From disaster to celebration in Limassol• Maritime ministry on the agenda at MtS Consultative Forum• Royal Navy first aid training for Flying Angel crew• Merchant Navy Day

Community news 6 • Roll up for the Flying Angel prize draw!• 30,000 show support for seafaring at maritime festival• Tour of the Kingdom rasies £3,000• David wins book award• Remembering Norma Rogers• Brands Hatch Cyclothon team accelerate for MtS

News from the ports 10 • Dubai: Caring hand• Gt Yarmouth: Peter hits the airwaves• Antwerp: Seafarers get better connected• Glasgow: Mission puts dying man in touch with home• Southampton: An eye-opener for Daniel• In memory of the Revd Canon Jim Pether• A tribute to the chaplain

Piracy update 12

Interview with... Dougal Harper 13

4

2

9

When a small, beleaguered water tanker docked at Limassol Port in Cyprus, its four weary crew members

confessed to our visiting chaplain that they had not been paid for five months and were perilously low on food and water.

The Mission team quickly swung into action, providing food and a small allowance to keep them going. Over the next few days MtS volunteers took the crew on trips and for some hearty meals, giving them a much-needed break from life on board.

In the meantime, our chaplain in Limassol, the Revd Canon Marvin Bamforth, sought legal advice on how to help the men obtain their lost wages. But just as an arrest order for the ship, which had not paid its port duties, was about to go through the court, the owner came forward and agreed to reimburse the unpaid wages, and pay port dues.

In all, it had cost the Mission €600 to support the crew. But just as the team were wondering how to make up the funds, a young man, Steven Bush, arrived to present a cheque for €1,287 – the proceeds of a sponsored bike ride. As Marvin said, “‘Give and it will be given unto you’ – how true those words are!”

The plight of seafarers held hostage by pirates was the focus of an MtS evening reception at Lambeth Palace on 27th

September. At the gathering, where guests included Mission President HRH

The Princess Royal, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the head of the UN’s International Maritime Organisation, the Revd Tom Heffer led a moment of silent reflection to remember the 1,049 seamen who were attacked last year, and the 296 currently being held hostage by pirate gangs.

During her speech to industry heads and Mission supporters, The Princess Royal praised the Mission for its expertise in supporting crews suffering from, and in fear of, pirate attack:

“For the Mission, the most precious cargo on board any vessel is its crew, and, if you share that belief, there is no charity that better deserves your partnership and your support. While the Mission can’t itself pursue the pirate gangs or bring them to justice, it can and does offer tremendous assistance, not just to the seafarers devastated by pirate action, but to their families as well.”

Over 150 people attended the event, which was kindly sponsored by the Liberian Shipping Registry. Guests included representatives from leading shipping companies, as well as Church leaders and figures from political and public life.

The reception was also an occasion for celebration when our director of justice and welfare, the Revd Canon Ken Peters, was awarded an honorary Master’s Licence by the Liberian Registry. The award recognised Ken’s ongoing work training Liberian flag state ship inspectors in how to implement the recommendations outlined in the Maritime Labour Convention 2006.

Lambeth Palace reception: MtS shows human cost of piracy

2 Flying Angel News | The Magazine of The Mission to Seafarers | Autumn 2011 | Issue 2

Mission news

From disaster to celebration in Limassol

The four seafarers, who came from Ukraine and the Philippines, relaxing after lunch with Mission staff and volunteers.

The Revd Canon Ken Peters receives an honorary Master’s Licence from Michalis Pantazopoulos (left) and Jonathan Spremulli (right) of the Liberian Registry.

HRH The Princess Royal arrives at Lambeth Palace to be greeted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Lambeth Palace reception: MtS shows human cost of piracy

Caring is at the heart of everything we do, and ensuring we have the resources to be there whenever and

wherever a seafarer needs us is vital. One of the ways you can help us is by a regular gift via

Direct Debit. As well as enabling us to reduce administration costs, you will be helping us plan for the future, ensuring that our services and centres remain on a sure footing in the ever-changing maritime world.

If you would like to support seafarers with a regular gift, please fill out the Direct Debit form on the letter enclosed. If you have any questions just call us on 0300 555 1505 or email [email protected]

Mission news

In September, forty members of the global Mission to Seafarers family gathered in Buckinghamshire to share

best practice and renew their commitment to serving those who spend their lives at sea.

Bishops, chaplains and lay staff from Britain, Australia, South Africa, Korea, Hong Kong and beyond met for the consultative forum to consider ways in which the Mission family can work more closely together in maritime ministry.

“It’s always so encouraging to share news of the exciting work the Mission is carrying out around the world,” said the Revd Tom Heffer. “Our discussions were very important to developing the vital care we give seafarers and their families.”

During the week-long conference delegates received various presentations, including one on piracy by hostage negotiator Suzanne Williams who spoke about the increasing frequency with which seafarers held in captivity now face physical torture.

Maritime ministry on the agenda at MtS Consultative Forum

MtS staff and volunteers from around the world attend a talk as part of the 2011 Consultative Forum at Denham Grove.

The crew of the Mission’s Flying Angel vessel, which supports thousands of seafarers anchored off the port of Fujairah in the

United Arab Emirates, has been benefiting from Royal Navy first aid and fire safety training.

Flying Angel chaplain the Revd Peter Chase has built up good relationships with several British naval ships, which are now only too happy to help in any way they can when they are in port. Most recently, HMS Cornwall sent a team of volunteers to give a refresher course in CPR. Peter said, “The exercise brought the two groups together and was an experience of community building among the crew.” The Flying Angel team have also received basic first aid instruction and advice from a Royal Navy medic, and fire safety training from the crew of submarine HMS Turbulent.

Hundreds gathered at the Merchant Navy Memorial in London to remember merchant seafarers during war and peace. The Mission was represented by the Revd Canon Huw Mosford, director of chaplaincy.

Merchant Navy DaySaturday 3rd September

Royal Navy first aid training for Flying Angel crew

Your Direct Debit could mean so much to the Mission...

3www.missiontoseafarers.org @flyingangelnews www.facebook.com/missiontoseafarers0300 555 1505

Whether you’ve been ganged-up on at school, or felt sidelined on your retirement; whether you are widowed and feel like

the odd-one-out in a world of couples; whether you’ve become housebound through disability, or have felt left out when you can’t join your family for Christmas, you are not alone.

Loneliness is nothing if not a common human experience, and few can feel it more keenly than today’s merchant sailors. Wrenched apart from their families for long and painful months, seafarers are away for up to a year – and many do not set foot on land at all during that time. On some of today’s ships, a seafarer may be the only person who speaks his native language, struggling to communicate with crewmates from other nations. For those who have no access to email or telephone on board ship, both seafarer and family can feel totally cut off.

The Mission’s chaplain in Mombasa, the Revd Michael Sparrow, says, “It has become more of a problem because of smaller crew sizes and international crewing. Years ago, there could be a good friendship and camaraderie on board, but nowadays that’s often lacking. A crew may sit down together for meals in the messroom but we have visited ships where there is no conversation.”

While a certain amount of homesickness inevitably comes with the job, the isolation of seafaring can create a more destructive loneliness. In today’s tight little crews, loneliness is frequently associated with work-related stress. Seafarers operate in a noisy, highly-mechanised environment, they have heavy responsibilities, with little support or respite. After all, they never leave the office to go home at the end of the day, and they can’t discuss fears or

problems with the family to let off steam and gain perspective. If they are being overworked, picked on by their crewmates, bullied by the captain, or frightened by piracy they rarely have anywhere to turn.

That’s where the Mission comes in. With your help, we provide a safety valve for seafarers in every kind of need, from bereavement or post-traumatic stress to wrongful arrest or being left behind,

alone and vulnerable, in a foreign hospital as their ship leaves port for its next destination. The friendly family welcome offered in our centres – ‘homes away from home’ – is vital to many seafarers.

“Loneliness is a problem they live with. Some seafarers come to the Mission clearly looking for someone with whom they can talk. A Goan cook asked to select some books from our library to take to his ship but what he really wanted was conversation. Not about anything in particular, but just for company. I sat with him for an hour or so, watching a football match on television, but chatting about many other things,” says Michael Sparrow.

When berthing duties or port security mean crews cannot come ashore, Mission staff in ports around the world take

“A crew may sit down together for meals in the messroom,

but we have visited ships where there is no conversation”

Have you ever felt lonely? Join the crowd...


The loneliness of the long-distance mariner

Image: Fotoflite

Giving in memory of a friend or loved one

When we suffer the loss of a loved one it can be helpful to those left behind to remember them in a way that

makes a difference. A gift given in their memory, to a cause that was dear to their heart, can sometimes help to bring consolation at a time of great sadness.

A donation to the Mission can help the memory of a friend or relative live on through the vital work we do with seafarers and their families.

If you would like collection envelopes or more information about remembering loved ones through the Mission, please contact Rebecca Gebbie on 0207 246 2917 or email her at [email protected]

web-linked laptops on board, enabling seafarers to feel closer to their families by chatting and seeing photos or video of their children. Relationship problems are one of the chief causes of suicide within the profession and, without us, many seafarers would quite simply have no opportunity to catch up with home.

Overwork, stress and loneliness can lead to anger, depression, and other symptoms of poor mental health, including substance abuse and physical illness. The Mission’s ship visits work on many levels to break down isolation and neutralise its negative effects. They give seafarers the opportunity to speak confidentially about their worries away from other crewmembers, and the space to express the anxieties which are often suppressed amidst the macho self-reliance of shipboard life.

The Mission chaplain offers counselling, suggestions for action, or advice. His experience and local contacts can help a seafarer in trouble and he can call upon the MtS global network to organise onward care or family liaison by a chaplain in another port.

Of course, modern seafaring can be a fascinating and rewarding occupation for those prepared for homesickness, hazard and hardship. The ocean life is imbued with a freedom and glamour rarely enjoyed by those who stay more safely at home, yet the cost of that freedom is loss of a place in everyday life. It is only with your help that we can be there to care for these brave men and women when the demands of ocean life overwhelm them, and they have nowhere to go but the Mission, and no one to confide in but its staff.

Isolation

Top left: Jiang Liang with Falmouth volunteers Penny Phillips and Graham Hall. Above: With your help, we provide a safety valve for seafarers in every kind of need.

When Chinese seafarer Jiang Liang suffered a serious head injury at sea, weather conditions were so rough

that he was forced to remain on his vessel for two days before he could be airlifted to hospital. During this terrifying time he said his head felt as if it had swollen to twice its normal size, his eyes were so bruised he could not open them and he was in excruciating pain from dental damage. He later told MtS staff he had been convinced he would die on the ship.

Jiang was eventually taken to hospital, where surgeons performed crucial surgery. Mission staff and volunteers in nearby Falmouth supported him through his recovery so that he did not feel alone following the trauma of the accident. They provided phone cards so that Jiang could keep in close contact with his parents, wife and young son, and by the end of his 49-day stay he was visiting the MtS centre almost daily for company and conversation. He said he would never forget those who had helped him at such a dark time.

Injured Jiang finds care and friendship in Falmouth

5 www.missiontoseafarers.org @flyingangelnews www.facebook.com/missiontoseafarers0300 555 1505

With 30,000 seafarers visiting Great Yarmouth for the 12th Annual Maritime Festival in September the Mission got in on the action, hosting its own stall amidst the many maritime attractions. For two days, the South Quay was buzzing with ships old and new, shantymen singing songs of the sea, seafood snacks and traditional arts and crafts. Our Great Yarmouth chaplain the Revd Peter Paine (pictured bottom right) said: “It was good to tell so many people about our work, and all had a very good time.”


Community news

30,000 show support for seafaring at maritime festival

The Flying Angel Prize Draw is a hugely important part of the Mission’s fundraising activity. Last year, no one sold more tickets than Southampton MtS committee

member Peta Walmisley. She told us the secret to her success:“I’ve so many different contacts, I sell them to colleagues, at the church crèche where

I help in the mornings and at the local yacht club. Some people buy tickets for the prizes but on the whole I find many do so in order to support the work of the Mission.”

Thanks to supporters like Peta, our Christmas draw has raised more than £70,000 over the last three years,

helping us provide counselling, phone calls home in a crisis, practical and legal support for seafarers when the worst happens.Tickets will be sent out in late October and the draw is scheduled for 25th January 2012. We sincerely hope you will take part, spread the word,

and if you can, sell tickets to friends and family and at community events.

Don’t forget to buy one for yourself too and perhaps you’ll be a winner like Mrs Chantal Perkins. Last year, she won a seven-night luxury cruise for two with Cruise and Maritime Voyages!

Roll up for the Flying Angel prize draw!

Huge thanks to Ian Fraser and friends who raised £900 through their MtS Flag Day collection in Woking. We’re really grateful to all who donated - your kindness will help us continue to offer a caring presence in port for seafarers who keep our global economy afloat.

Flying the flag!

To order raffle tickets, call 0300 555 1505.

Norma Rogers, who died in September, was chairman of the Birmingham Association and a strong and valued supporter

of the MtS for many years. As a solicitor for city law firm Irwin Mitchell, Norma was a

respected member of the Birmingham business community.In retirement she used her extensive contacts to build support for the Mission, and in 2002 became chairman of the committee. Supported by her husband John, Norma organised regular talks and fairs, as well as supporting

local volunteers in fundraising activities such as coffee mornings, knitting and fun runs.

Norma always rewarded volunteers by ensuring their efforts featured in FAN, and

organised certificates for long-standing committee members. Such has been her contribution to the MtS that in 2006 Norma and John were invited to attend a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, which she enjoyed enormously.

Norma will be remembered for her unwavering commitment to the Mission, and greatly missed by all who knew her.

Community news

Remembering Norma Rogers

5th November 2011 Clevedon Committee’s Annual

Coffee Morning and Autumn Sale, Bristol

10th November 2011

London Flying Angel Committee’sAutumn Christmas Fayre

19th NovemberCharity Concert

at Chichester Cathedral

13th December 2011Bournemouth Committee Christmas

Fayre, St Mark’s Hall, Poole

11th March 2012

The incredible journey: The salvage of SS Great Britain, by Philip Unwin

Clevedon, Bristol

For more info about any of these events, or for support in

organising your own, contact Nicky Jackson on 07500 333190

or at: [email protected]

Are you organising an MtS fundraising event? If so, Nicky

would love to hear about it!

Diary dates

David wins awardA book charting the history of Falmouth Docks, published in aid of MtS, has won a Cornish book award. Sailing Ship to Super Liner: Falmouth Docks 1860-2010 by David Barnicoat was highly commended in the Holyer An Gof Awards 2011. The book tells the story of the docks through more than 200 images from the port’s rich 150-year history. Its author is Falmouth’s longest serving pilot, having handled many of the world’s largest ships during his 32 years’ service. Congratulations and thanks, David!

Can you spare two hours a month?We’re looking for ‘flying angels’! If you can spare a couple of hours every few weeks to place MtS collection boxes in your local area, we would love to hear from you. Boxes need to be replaced twice a year, and an average collection can raise around £30 – a simple and brilliant way to raise money for the Mission. All materials and training are provided. Contact Nicky Jackson on 07500 333190 for more information.

On a beautiful, fresh morning in sunny Fife, more than 60 cyclists headed off from the Burntisland coast to tackle a gruelling 75 mile ride through scenic Scottish

countryside. Organised by director of development for MtS Scotland, Commander Jim McRae, the event raised £3,000 to support our Scottish services for seafarers. Huge thanks to everyone who took part!

Tour of the Kingdom raises £3,000

Community news

Could you or anyone you know give a morning or afternoon of your time between 29th October and 10th December? Our Christmas card shops in Altrincham and Wimslow, Cheshire, are reliant on a fantastic team of volunteers to keep them running, and we’re looking for new recruits! All profits from the cards help support our work around the world, so by giving a few hours of your time you’ll be raising vital funds for seafarers as well as raising the profile of MtS locally. To find out more, contact Nicky Jackson on 07500 333190 or by email at: [email protected]

Christmas help needed in Cheshire


If you would like to discuss how your company could work with The Mission to Seafarers, please contact Tara Fox, head of corporate partnerships, on: 020 7246 2980 or at: [email protected]

Corporate news

Brands Hatch Cyclothon team accelerate for MtS

Huge thanks go to our four heroic cyclists, Patrick Walters and Philip Collins of Associated British Ports,

and Robert Williams and Michael Browning from Tilbury Container Services, who took part in the epic Cyclothon event at Brands Hatch in aid of the Mission. Organised by England rugby star Victor Ubogu, this super tough cycling challenge saw participants take on an eight hour relay race around the iconic race track.

Patrick, commercial director Associated British Ports, captained the team. His passion for the work of the MtS comes from growing up in a port town in Africa where he saw first-hand the good work carried out by our chaplains and volunteers. He later followed his father – a shipping agent – into the industry, and has seen the important role the Mission continues to play around the world.

This is not the first time Patrick or his teammates have taken on a challenge for us. Last year they took part in the Flying Angel Ride on the Isle of Wight. Despite driving rain and gale force winds, Patrick and his son Hugo, 15, persevered to make it around the island in the third fastest time. We look forward to seeing the team at the next MtS cycling challenge!


Team MtS gear up for the race at Brands Hatch.

My name is Rebecca, I have worked in central office for three years now, which means I’ve probably spoken to many of you in that time. I am the Mission’s legacy officer. I work with solicitors and executors to make sure that when you leave us a gift in your will, your wishes are properly carried out and your compassion lives on through our charitable work.

To give you the reassurance that we know how big and private a decision this is, and also how much we appreciate your support, we will make the following promises to you.

1. We recognise that your will is a private decision and we will respect your privacy in making it.2. We know that your family and friends will always come first and we would never try and change that.3. We recognise that this is a big decision and that you need to make it in your own time.4. We would love to hear if you have left a gift in your will, however we never expect you to tell us how much, or

even tell us at all.5. We will use your gift wisely and cost-efficiently. If there is an area that is special to you we can even arrange

for it to be spent there.6. We want you to have the opportunity to be connected with The Mission to Seafarers, so we will keep you up to

date with our work. If you don’t want to hear from us at all then we will respect that decision.7. We appreciate that your circumstances may change and you have the right to change your mind.

If you are thinking of remembering the Mission in your will, I am always available to talk to you on0207 246 2917, or if you have email, you can contact me at [email protected]



Week in, week out, our chaplains around the world report on seafarers whose ships have been arrested. Many are

left stranded far from home, with no money and little prospect of escape, as legal battles wage against their owners due to negligence, unpaid debts and other disputes with shipping companies or local authorities.

Our chaplain in Hong Kong recently found himself assisting seafarers on five arrested vessels in the same month, all the subject of legal actions for unpaid debts on the part of their owners. In situations where money is owed, it is always the crew who are the last to see any payment. Many simply have no idea how to begin trying to obtain reimbursement for unpaid wages. They rely on our chaplains’ local knowledge, contacts in the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and access to legal advice to help them claim the money they have worked so hard to earn.

Depending on where a vessel is arrested, if they are lucky, a crew may receive some support from the court for basic necessities while they await the ship’s release. However, in many cases seafarers receive nothing at all for weeks, relying on our chaplains to supply food, clothes and sometimes money to support their families at home, with no idea how long the case will take or what the outcome will be.

In the worst scenarios, senior officers can find themselves used as scapegoats, made to take the blame for the ship’s failings by unscrupulous companies with little loyalty to their often-changing crews. Or, particularly in the case of an emergency on board, they

may have contravened a local law in the course of conducting their professional duties without even knowing it until afterwards. Such are the number of different territories and legal jurisdictions a seafarer will cross in the course of each contract, and the range of nationalities working on board a vessel (which itself is usually flagged by a foreign state), it would be practically impossible for them to be aware of all of the laws which apply to them.

In the best case scenario an accused seafarer will be disciplined and sent home without wages. In the worst cases they find themselves imprisoned and alone in a foreign land, with no idea how defend themselves, and little opportunity to contact home. And as foreign nationals, they are more likely to be detained for long periods behind bars to ensure that they do not flee prosecution.

For the desperate seafarer trapped or imprisoned in a foreign land, our chaplains can help provide a glimmer of hope. With good connections to port authorities, port state control and local ITF representatives, MtS chaplains help mobilise advice and support for seafarers in their most difficult hour. They help them navigate a path through unfamiliar bureaucratic and legal processes, they provide practical and financial support where necessary, they listen to their worries, and, crucially, they put them in touch with familiar, loving and supportive voices at home.

It’s through your support that we’re able to be there in more than 230 ports to respond to seafarers’ emergencies at a moment’s notice, ensuring that however bleak the sitaution, they know that the Flying Angel is on their side.

Criminalisation

Treated like criminalsWhen a ship is arrested, it’s the innocent crew who suffer most


The harsh and dangerous conditions at sea mean that many seafarers

find themselves sick or injured far from home, with little comfort or support. Our chaplains help make this most difficult of experiences as bearable as possible by visiting them, listening to their worries, and helping them make contact with family and friends.

The Mission’s ability to put seafarers in touch with loved ones back at home has never been more important than in a recent tragic case in Scotland. One

evening in July, MtS chaplain the Revd Tim Tunley was alerted by security staff at Braefoot Bay that a sick seafarer had been sent to Dunfermline Hospital. Visiting him, Tim found that the man had been unable to call his family in the Philippines as he could not charge his phone, and so gave him his own mobile to make the call. He also took the seafarer’s soiled clothes to be washed as he was embarrassed by them, and brought him pyjamas to make his stay in hospital more comfortable.

The next day Tim visited the seafarer again, and he was able to speak to his wife and family on the chaplain’s phone. He also requested to see a Catholic priest, so Tim alerted the local Catholic chaplaincy. Sadly, during the next few days the seafarer died of a brain haemorrhage. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as they deal with their loss. We are thankful that they were able to speak to him before he died, and they have since received support from a local Filipino network in Scotland.

Our chaplain in Great Yarmouth, the Revd Peter Paine, has taken to the airwaves to spread the word about the Mission!

During his appearances on BBC Radio Norfolk he has introduced thousands of listeners to the work of the MtS, Sea Sunday and his role as port chaplain in Great Yarmouth. Peter has also been asked to offer a Christian perspective on the news in the Sunday paper review. He says, “At first it was scary, but the more you do it the better you become!”

Ports around the world

When a 3000-tonne cargo ship sunk at night off the coast of Oman in June, sadly only four of the ten crew managed to reach a life raft. After a gruelling ten days at sea without food or water, the traumatised men were at last rescued by a German vessel bound for UAE. MtS’ chaplain in Dubai, the Revd Nigel Dawkins, visited the seafarers – now desperate to return to their families – to offer support and condolence while they waited for the paperwork which would allow them to finally go home. Our thoughts are with the families of the six seafarers who have not been found.

Dubai: Caring hand


Seafarers in Antwerp can now access free internet to contact their families while in port, thanks to an inventive new initiative being piloted by the MtS team. The port authority already supplies wireless internet for visiting crews, but the signal is often too weak for them to use. Hearing of the seafarers’ frustration, chaplain John Attenborough and his team had the idea of importing long range antennae from Germany to boost the internet signal, which they sell to seafarers at low cost.

After a trial run, John commented: “It really is amazing to see the look on

the seafarers’ faces when you are able to provide something as useful as this. To say they went like hot cakes is an understatement. One captain told me that I am welcome to come to his ship morning noon and night, and if I want to have my meals on the ship there will always be a place set for me in the messroom! He said, ‘What you and the Mission have done for us is such a wonderful thing and we will always be very grateful!’ As a Mission we should constantly be looking for new ways to make seafarers’ lives that little bit better.”

Antwerp: Seafarers get better connected

Gt Yarmouth: Peter hits the airwaves

Nigel counsels a seafarer in hospital. One man suffered internal bleeding from injuries sustained escaping the ship.

Glasgow: Mission puts dying man in touch with home

A seafarer uses the internet to speak to family.

Port news

There lies a place in alien landReplete with love and care;Where lives a man, a caring friend,And warmth is in the air.

He arrives onboard with a warm hello,A sight so rare at sea;He meets with all and tells them moreOf services offered for free.

He strives to meet, with honesty,A sailor’s needs upon the coast;He lends a ear with sympathy,And plays the perfect host.

He plans a trip to step ashore,For the weary sailor boy;To chat with folks and friends of yoreAnd a shopping spree enjoy.

For all his love and all his care,His service can’t be matched;He winds it up with a loving prayer,And not a string attached.

A selfless man, an ideal friendTo a sailor on the roam;His Seafarers’ Mission in alien land Is a home away from home.

By Captain Felino D’SouzaMaster Mariner16th July, 2011 At sea

A tribute to the chaplain

In memory of the Revd Canon Jim PetherWe were greatly saddened by the death of Jim Pether, who served as MtS chaplain to Wellington, New Zealand, for 25 years. A busy career saw Jim become honorary chaplain to the Merchant Navy Association, honorary secretary and treasurer of the Oceania Council of the MtS and a life member of the New Zealand Seafarers’ Welfare Board, as well as being one of the few non-seafarers to receive the Merchant Navy service medal. Jim was greatly liked and respected by all who met him, and 600 people attended his funeral. The chairman of Wellington, Peter Snow, said, “Jim was always on hand to offer whatever pastoral care and welfare each person required. He carried out the role with the utmost dignity and compassion.” Our thoughts and prayers are with Jim’s wife Sheila and his family.

The Revd Canon Jim Pether.

Daniel Buckingham, aged 15, volunteered at our Southampton centre for a week in July. He reflects on the experience.

The friendliness and warmth I have been greeted with when ship-visiting, despite the hard conditions seafarers are faced with, has been a real eye-opener for me even during the short time that I’ve been here.

Each day, a chaplain visits around four ships to spend time with the crew and offer them anything they might need. Some seafarers may want to buy SIM cards for their mobile phones, since communication is so important to those who are leaving behind families for months at a time, while others may wish to pick up a prayer book for some quiet reading. Some may not want for anything other than the chance to sit and have a chat with someone new. This seems like a simple pleasure, but having spent so much time with the same people, I found a lot of seafarers were grateful to have a new pair of ears to listen to them.

At the end of each visit, the ship’s crew are reminded of the opportunity to visit the Southampton Seafarers’ Centre via the free bus driven by volunteers to and from the ports. Once at the centre, they have access to the internet, meals, drinks and recreational facilities. It is when helping with the bus service that I have found the seafarers at their most relaxed and talkative. After a while, this atmosphere can cause a few of the worries of seafarers’

lives to slip past their usual cheery attitude. As one Filipino chief engineer remarked, “We are very close as families in the Philippines. That makes it so much harder to leave so often, for so long.”

Seafarers face many problems: the loneliness of their time at sea, long working hours, low wages. It is so important to raise awareness of the work done by the Southampton centre and by the Mission. Until now, I didn’t know about the problems these seafarers face and I doubt many people my age are aware of these things either. To see the situation faced by seafarers really allowed me to gain perspective on what I perceive as problems, and helped me realise that in fact these are relatively small by comparison.

Southampton: An eye-opener for Daniel

Daniel writes about his experiences on a visit to our headquarters in London.



Piracy

MtS is an official supporter of the fourth edition of Best Management Practices for Protection against Somalia Based Piracy (BMP4). Launched in August, BMP4 is endorsed by the International Maritime Bureau, international navies and all major shipping associations.

This guidance document is designed to provide shipping companies, ship’s masters and crew due to transit through high risk waters with the information and strategies they need to avoid, deter or delay pirate attack. It is regularly updated and new editions published in response to the rapidly changing technology and strategies employed by Somalia based pirates.

Piracy update

Tragically, the terror experienced by seafarers travelling through pirate infested waters can prove as devastating for

some as encountering a pirate attack. Our chaplain in Vlissingen, the Revd Remco Robinson,

recently received very sad news when he was called to visit a ship entering port. The vessel had just transited the Gulf of Aden, during which time its crew had been forced to remain locked indoors for several days due to the high piracy threat. Tragically, the anxiety became too much for one young crewmember, who hanged himself in his cabin.

Remco visited the ship to offer support and counseling to the other men on the ship, who were still very much in shock. He conducted a memorial service and blessed the vessel, before contacting the MtS chaplain at the next port to ensure the crew were met with support and warmth on arrival. Our thoughts and prayers are with the young man’s family and crewmates as they come to terms with this terrible loss.

Facts and figuresThe estimated cost of piracy to the world economy is $7bn- $12bn per year. And yet the human cost for the world’s 1.2 million seafarers and their loved ones, in terms of the terror, stress and grief it causes, is incalculable.

The International Maritime Bureau reports the figures below for piracy and armed robbery at sea in 2011 (as at 16th Sept).

Incidents reported worldwide

• Total attacks: 335

• Total hijackings: 35

Incidents reported for Somalia:

• Total incidents: 188

• Total hijackings: 24

• Number of hostages taken: 400

• Number of seafarers killed: 8

Ships held hostageIn 2010, 1,049 seafarers were taken hostage by Indian Ocean pirates, and held, on average, for 164 days. Below is a snap-shot of three ships in pirate hands at the time of writing.

MV Socotra 1: Seized on Christmas Day 2009 in the Gulf of Aden, the Yemeni-owned vessel and its six crew have been held hostage for nearly two years.

MV Sinar Kundus: Seized in March 2011 along with 20 crew, the Indonesian flagged and owned bulk cargo carrier was taken in the Somali Basin and used to launch further attacks.

MV Rosalia D’Amato: The 74,500-tonne bulk carrier was captured off Oman in April 2011, carrying a cargo of soya, with a crew of six Italians and 15 Filipino seafarers.

Source: Reuters.

Tragedy at sea: piracy threat overwhelms seafarer

New anti-piracy guidance launched

The rally is an annual event in which 300 teams compete to reach the finish in the shortest time possible, in the least appropriate vehicle. Describing the trip as “one of the most hard, challenging and downright stupid adventures ever undertaken,” the team drove from Goodwood in the south of England to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia in a battered old Rover Streetwise.

We chatted to Dougal as he caught his breath back in the UK, having travelled a staggering 10,876 miles through 19 countries in 35 days.

What inspired you to take part? My brother saw the rally cars leaving as he was coming back from college one day in 2009 and wanted to do it. When he told us about it we said yes straight away! We liked the idea of helping out charities, and the appeal of seeing so many different countries and cultures in one go. Why did you decide to support the MtS?My brother Donald is a deck cadet and spent Christmas Day 2008 on a bulk carrier outside an Australian port. The Mission shipped a load of stuff out and came and visited the crew on the ship. He really appreciated that and said at the time that that was the charity he would support in future. What were the standout moments from the trip? In Kazakhstan in particular people would always stop and offer to help you. It was different to England where nobody helps each other. And everybody loved Iran. Another big moment was when our engine conked out in Mongolia. We were between two towns 120 miles apart, and we rolled down a sand bank. There was a horrible silence and we all felt pretty worried, but we found our way out of it! If something went wrong we knew generally how to repair it. The problem was finding parts – there aren’t many Rovers in Mongolia!What advice would you give to someone taking on a big challenge like yours? Plan as much as you can, and stay cheerful!

If you have an idea for a challenge you’d like to take on for the Mission, get in touch with Katherine on 020 7246 2939 or email [email protected]

www.missiontoseafarers.org

Interview with... Thanks for your feedback!

To thank you for your feedback we put the names of all those who responded into a prize draw, to win a copy of Face to Face: Ocean Portraits.

Congratulations and thanks to the winner, the Revd RMF Haigh.

Dougal HarperWe really enjoyed hearing what you had to say about the new improved format of Flying Angel News. The response was overwhelmingly positive – here are some of your comments:

You particularly enjoyed the feature articles, Mission news and stories from our ports around the world, and many of you said you’d like to hear more about what our supporters have been doing to help promote the MtS in their communities. In response, we’ve added four pages to this second issue of FAN, and it’s now even more bursting with stories, features and information.

Many of you stressed how important it is to raise awareness of piracy and the impact it has on seafarers and their families, so we have included a piracy update in this issue. If you like it, we will make this a regular feature. We also received lots of sug-gestions for topics to cover in future issues, as well as some exciting feature ideas. We will use as many of these ideas as possible over the coming months, and look forward to seeing what you think.

FAN is your supporter magazine. We want to ensure that as well as keeping you up-to-date with the work of MtS around the world, it reflects the contribution our many wonderful volun-teers and supporters make, and responds to your interests and concerns.

We continue to welcome your feedback. If you have further comments, please write to: The Editor - FAN, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London EC4R 2RL.

Or email your thoughts to: [email protected]

“I enjoyed reading all of the articles – well done.”

“This new format is extremely readable, cover to cover!’

“An excellent publication.”

“Well laid out and very informative.”

“It is much more manageable in a magazine form than the old Flying Angel newspaper format.”

“I have always enjoyed receiving the newsletter, even though the contents have, on occasion, had me near to tears.”

Face to Face: Ocean Portraits, photos by Huw Lewis-Jones, and foreword by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

In August three intrepid young men, Dougal and Donald Harper and Jordan Curnow took on the Mongol Rally in aid of charities including The Mission to Seafarers.

How you can support us

Make a donation If you would like to make a donation, please fill out the form below, and complete your contact details at the bottom of the page.

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There are many ways in which you can support our work with seafarers around the world.

Please detach this form and send it to:

Freepost SU361Flying Angel NewsThe Mission To SeafarersSunderland SR9 9XZ. Caring for seafarers

around the worldCharity numbers: 212432 / SC039211

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Find out more about getting involvedPlease tick the box below and fill out the contact details panel at the bottom of the page to find out more about:

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Make your gift worth 25% more

We recently launched an appeal to highlight the intense suffering caused to innocent seafarers and their

families when ships are detained because of legal entanglements entirely beyond their control.

Help in their darkest hour

Manoj is one such seafarer, arrested because of negligence on the part of a rogue ship-owner. He told us,

"we have been under a lot of financial and mental stress." At just 22, he has been held in Fujairah, UAE, for over two

years while legal proceedings against his bosses are slowly resolved.

His crewmate Dhananjay, also 22, describes how serious arrest can be for sailors and their loved ones: "I am the sole breadwinner of my family and I haven't

been able to send money home for the past several months.”

No innocent seafarer should be imprisoned, or denied basic rights to pay and sustenance.

Many of you have already heeded our urgent call for help. Thank you. With your support we can

provide food, water and legal support to hundreds of sailors like Manoj and Dhananjay, wherever

in the world they may be.

There are simply too many seafarers imprisoned around the globe through no fault of their own, relying

on The Mission to Seafarers and our supporters for help in their darkest hour.

As Christmas hoves into view and the importance of family is uppermost in our minds, the advocacy work

you make possible is more vital than ever.

Thank you, friends, for your support and kindness. Together we are a safe harbour to those who need us.

flying angel news issue 2

Documents

seafarers autumn

merchant seafarers

seafarers scotland limited

registered charity

mission tackles loneliness

registered office

london ec4r

sights of london