Syed Qalbe Muhammad
One of the hidden gems of the shipping industry is shore leave — it relaxes a seaman’s health and mind. After long voyages and being cut off from normal life, going ashore while the vessel berths brings you back to normal life. Seeing children and women around, enjoying shopping, reading a newspaper, or having unlimited internet access is worth more than a tola of gold for seafarers.
Unfortunately, shore leave culture has been on a ventilator since COVID-19 stopped the whole world. Life ashore stopped, and life at sea became critical because no one could come close to each other. The effect was felt at sea for at least three consecutive years, which was a terrible experience.
After that, many laws, restrictions, visa issues, terminal-specific rules, and even companies themselves stopped seafarers from going ashore. Commercialism has eaten away these rights. When seafarers do get the chance to go for shore leave, the Master, Chief Officer, or Chief Engineer often try to avoid crew shore leaves for reasons like company superior visits, SIRE, Class Surveys, CDI inspections, or other vetting inspections.
For officers, four-month contracts are short, but for crew members spending 8 to 9 months onboard, especially on tankers, it is extremely difficult. Another sad reality is that some seafarers themselves choose not to go ashore to save money — but no matter how much you save, it’s never enough. Worse, no seaman or union stands against this injustice.
We are all aware that some nationalities’ crew run away from ships to seek nationality in established countries. This can be controlled by a universal principle: the IMO should pass a resolution that any seaman who absconds from a ship, for any reason, will not be entitled to immigration or migration in any country. This rule would protect shipowners from heavy losses or fines and would not violate seafarers’ rights.
In my 15 years of service at sea, I visited Nigeria in 2010; Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Oman in one contract in 2012; Belgium in 2013; Saudi Arabia in 2016; Saudi Arabia again in 2017 where I performed Umrah thanks to Captain Yasir Khalifa of Egypt and company agent Yahya Khamis; Yemen in 2018; and Karachi, Pakistan in 2019. Since 2020, I haven’t had any chance to go ashore, which is quite disheartening as a seafarer.
It is understandable that a vessel’s berthing time is busy due to provisions, bunkers, immigration, customs, port authorities, surveys, inspections, agents, international authorities, and charterer or owner visits. But with proper planning and cooperation, shore leave can still be managed.
Nothing is more important than the mental health of the crew. A mentally healthy crew ensures the safety of your vessel. Some companies and Masters also refuse crew shore leave, even when crew hold valid visas, just to avoid paperwork or small agent charges.
If regulations required that shore leave be regularly checked on vessels by competent authorities at different intervals, this culture might revive. A healthy seafarer is essential for healthy sea trade, vessel safety, pollution-free operations, and zero accidents at sea.
Finding a solution is not impossible if think tanks like IMO, MLC, ILO, ITF, and other industry bodies try to find a better way forward. We are hopeful that a solution suitable for both the shipping industry and seafarers will be found soon.
About the Author:
Syed Qalbe Muhammad is a senior journalist with vast experience in covering shipping and sea trade. His work has been recognized by global international organizations. He has over 15 years of experience sailing on three major types of tankers and holds a Radio Officer license.