Ship Detained in Falmouth, England
 Louise
Carter is the AOS port chaplain in Falmouth on the South
Coast of Great Britain. Here she describes how AOS brought
pastoral care to seafarers whose ship had been detained for
failing to meet international safety requirements. The story
demonstrates the importance of “being alongside” those in
distress.
"In April 2006, the ship Solara was detained by British
maritime authorities when refuelling off the coast of
Falmouth. The Solara, a 9000 tonnes ship, was owned by a
Romanian company but flagged in Panama. Most of the crew
were Romanian.
This was the eighth time that the Solara had been
detained in seven years. One month previously it had been
detained by the French maritime authorities. The British
inspector who detained it said that it was the worst ship
that he had seen in his 28 years of experience. The ship was
unstable, unable to pump ballast and the bow was out of the
water. The engines were in a very poor state, lifeboats
inoperable and even the pilot ladder was condemned by the
authorities.
The ship was anchored ¾ mile out to sea. In discussion
with our sister mission the Mission to Seafarers who are
present on the port and were also concerned for the ship, I
talked to the harbour master and pilots and persuaded them
to take me out to the ship. My husband Phil, an experienced
marine engineer and AOS ship visitor, accompanied me. In
order to board the ship, we had to climb a 30 foot pilot
ladder in strong wind. Onboard we were met by four crew
members. I speak a little Romanian so was able to greet
them. They were delighted and escorted us to the ship’s
mess.
I have never seen a ship in such a terrible state: the
paint was falling from the walls, the furniture was old,
broken and worn. There were fire hoses left in corridors
where people might fall over them. Everywhere there was
thick cigarette smoke.
When we reached the ship’s mess, the crew were very
hospitable, asking if we were warm enough. They even tried
to clean the seats with their sleeves before we sat down. We
gave them telephones and telephone cards so they could speak
to their families at home. We also gave them gifts of videos
and books and some chocolate and snacks which they received
with delight and began eating at once. In conversation they
told us that they were fine and that their food was “okay”.
But they also revealed that they were not sleeping well and
that some of them had not telephoned home for three months.
The crew were unwashed and poorly dressed. No one seemed
to be doing any work. Instead they were just smoking and
watching a television with poor reception. We were very
concerned to find the crew so apathetic. At the time of our
visit, the ship had already been resubmitted for inspection
twice and had failed both times. The crew no longer seemed
to care if they left Falmouth or when they would be able to
go home.
The sense of authority which is necessary on a ship had
deteriorated on the Solara. The officers did not appear to
be taking control and the ABs no longer expected
instructions from them. The captain seemed to stay in his
cabin playing solitary card games.
I needed to nominate a crew member to be responsible for
the phonecards and telephones which I distributed. I chose
the person whom the others seemed to respect most. He was
the third engineer.
I then asked another crew member to show me the galley,
(ship’s kitchen). The fridge, freezer and cupboards were all
empty. In a locked storeroom there were a few bags of dry
food. I think they held rice and flour. I did not see any
bottled water, dairy products or fresh fruit or vegetables:
vital constituents of a balanced diet.
 Then
the crew member showed me a cabin. It was in a very poor
state and extremely dirty. Two men shared the cabin and
there was no space for privacy. There were buckets
collecting water from leaks in the roof; a filthy sink in
one corner; and an electric heater with wires dangerously
exposed. The smell in the cabin was terrible. The crew
member persuaded me to take a photograph. Perhaps he thought
that people would not believe that the conditions could be
so bad otherwise.
Then he told me that he was desperate to leave the ship
but did not want to lose his pay. He wanted my help to
contact the ITF inspector who had previously visited the
ship. The crew member had been too frightened to speak to
the inspector himself. He was worried that, if the ship’s
owner discovered that he had complained, his family in
Romania would suffer.
He then gave me a statement signed by four members of the
crew all asking to be discharged with pay. There was a
problem in that their contract stated that 25% of their pay
would only be paid on completion of the contract. The
seafarer was very distressed about the situation and it was
difficult to know if he really understood. I agreed to pass
his statement to the ITF and encouraged him to contact me
whenever he needed to.
Later the captain and I talked about the ship. It was
clear to me that the captain felt obliged to support the
ship owner. He claimed that the crew were well and that the
ship needed only small repairs which would be completed very
soon. But he also suggested that, when he had accepted the
contract, he had expected a new ship and that he had been
very disappointed to see the state of it.
Meanwhile, my husband had visited the engine room with
the ship’s chief engineer. He reported that it was filthy
with oil on the surfaces and floors. The main boiler was
inoperable and the engines in such a very poor state that
the crew were afraid to perform routine maintenance.
Over the next few days, we worked hard to persuade the
relevant authorities to assist the crew of the Solara.
During that time, members of the crew telephoned and sent us
text messages requesting certain items which both AOS and
the Mission to Seafarers were able to work together to
provide. Eight days after our first visit, we returned with
supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables, treats, toiletries,
games, magazines, DVDs and phone cards.
The crew members were pleased to see us and receive our
gifts. It was clear that they accepted that no one could
help them in any other way. There was also more tension
onboard. We witnessed a verbal confrontation between an
officer and an AB. We spent time with the seafarers just
talking and encouraging them to contact their families.
As we left, one of the seafarers said
“I have been at sea 25 years and today it is worse than
it was under Ceaucescu”.
I worked in Romania in the early 1990s and I understand
how serious that statement was for a Romanian.
Shortly after, the ship was resubmitted for inspection.
This time, the maritime authorities permitted it to leave
British waters. A representative from the company which
owned the Solara insisted that it was a very good ship, the
best one in their fleet!
About four weeks later, I received a text message from
one of the crew of the Solara. It said
“I cant thank you enough for your support. I am at home
now with my family. If you come in Romania dont hesitate to
call me I will be waiting, Yours faithfully, M..”
I was very grateful for the message. The whole incident
made me reflect on our work, being alongside with those in
distress even if we cannot relieve their situation. I was
overwhelmed by the kindness of those seafarers who welcomed
us onboard and tried to care for us even when they were not
able to care for themselves.”
Please note that the name of the ship has been changed
to protect the seafarers. |