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Description
Shore leave for seafarers is generally accepted as a custom, if not a right, essential for well- being and pressure relief from the responsibilities of life on board. However, it is clear that the
ability of seafarers to take shore leave has been seriously eroded and may even be facing extinction. The combination of workload on board and limited time in port make it virtually impossible for seafarers to make time for shore leave. Commercial pressures have increased, and there is a serious risk that facilities available for seafarers will decline due to a lack of demand. The culprits are multiple. Without sufficient crew on board to cover the workload, companies fail to create schedules that allow for shore leave. Increasing numbers of inspections add to the burden. Port states can focus on security and efficient port operations without any compulsion to facilitate leave for foreign crew. The lack of easily accessible facilities and high transport costs dampen demand for shore leave, and seafarers themselves make the rational choice to stay on board. The fact that there is no single point of responsibility for the problem makes it challenging, but not impossible, to focus on effective solutions. The purpose of this research is to quantify the current levels of shore leave in terms of frequency and length of time spent ashore and to identify the barriers. The survey benefits from a significant and representative sample size of 5,879 valid responses. It indicates that more than a quarter of seafarers do not get any shore leave at all, and a third have only one or two incidents of shore leave over the period of their contracts (6.6 months average). When they do manage to take shore leave, 47% of those responding affirmatively spent less than three hours ashore, and 46.5% between three and six hours. The negative results were strongly correlated with the vessel types of offshore vessels and tankers. Not surprisingly, cruise ships and passenger ship crews were less adversely impacted. Officers reported going ashore less often than ratings and other ranks. The depth of feeling on the subject from seafarers is evident from their responses to the open questions. Many focused on port state bureaucracy and security restrictions, while others highlighted the impossibility of balancing work/rest hours, watches, and compulsory overtime.
8 At a time when mental health and well-being are recognised as important considerations for seafarers’ health and safety on board, access to shore leave should be promoted to ensure the safe management of the vessel. Further, given the looming crew shortages, affording decent opportunities for relaxation from work should be a priority for attracting and retaining crew. All stakeholders, from flag States to port States, agents to shipping companies and seafarers themselves, need to recognise that the current regime is leading towards the extinction of shore leave as a viable concept. All parties need to collaborate to ensure that this vital component of life at sea is maintained and expanded.
DOI
10.21677/250326
ISBN
978-91-988967-9-4
Publication Date
2025
Publisher
World Maritime University
City
Malmö
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences | Transportation
