My Life at Sea - Fr Guy Pasquier
 Fr
Guy Pasquier is both a priest and a seafarer. As he prepares
for his final voyage, he shares his experience of life at
sea.
I am a seafarer priest, 59 years old, and I have lived
this life for 14 years. I was asked by my Church and AOS
France to undertake this form of ministry which has existed
since 1950. Today I am the last seafarer priest and I will
soon retire. On joining my ship for the last time in July
2007, I am sending a call to the Church asking that this
ministry be taken up in other countries.
A ship’s course is straight but the my professional
course has been chaotic. Between 1993 and 2000, I did not
have any job security and there were periods of
unemployment. I had some contracts with French companies but
I also worked under flags of convenience. Conditions
included two contracts of seven months length; sailing in
all kinds of ships such as containers, ro-ro ships and oil
and gas tankers; and sailing with mixed crews, among them
Africans, Indians, Filipinos, Chileans, Bulgarians,
Russians, Romanians and many others. I was never sure of
being hired again. In short, I shared the usual conditions
of many seafarers.
Since the year 2000, I have had a steady job in a ship
management and manning company. I am an electrician onboard
an LPG (liquid petroleum gas) tanker with a capacity of
80,000 cubic metres. The ship makes long voyages under a
French flag (2nd register). My job consists of maintenance
and repair work of the very large equipment used for
mechanical propulsion, electrical power, and gas
reliquefaction. The crew consists of 6 French and 16
Romanian seafarers.
The modern maritime world
It is more and more difficult
for seafarers to go ashore, impossible in some countries
I would like to explain something of the complexity of
the maritime world. These days, identifying a ship owner is
very complicated. Each ship is part of a financial operation
through which it can be difficult to trace the real owner.
The connection between owner, flag and country does not
exist anymore. Today 60% of the world’s merchant fleet sails
under flags of convenience. That means less respect for
regulation and fierce competition. Concerns for seafarers’
welfare carry little weight.
Port terminals are a long way from city centres. Loading
and unloading operations must be accomplished quickly. It is
more and more difficult for seafarers to go ashore,
impossible in some countries such as those of the Persian
Gulf. You cannot set foot on a US quay without a visa. The
ISPS code, established following the terrorist attacks
against the USA in 2001, governs port safety conditions and
serious limits seafarers’ rights of access.
Life onboard
There is an absolute necessity
for relaxation and escape from oppressive surroundings
Onboard ship, safety regulations stipulate a minimum
level of crew. When my ship is in port there are also
inspections by oil companies considering chartering the ship
and by port authorities checking the condition of safety
equipment and testing the capacity of the crew to respond to
emergencies. We support these safety measures as they mean
that the ship is well maintained. But this kind of ship,
which makes long voyages, calls at ports infrequently. As a
result of the repeated inspections, it is rare that we are
able to go ashore.
Add to this the daily routine: engine maintenance,
managing the provisions stores, handling waste. Time is
short and everybody onboard is very busy. Many seafarers now
say that the ship is like a prison from which there is no
escape for leisure or relaxation. If working relationships
are not good, everybody is nervous and work becomes
problematic. Clearly there is an absolute necessity for
relaxation and escape from oppressive surroundings.
There is so much pressure on seafarers when onboard a
ship. Repeated inspections mean that the ship must be in
perfect order. Each of us must do our best to meet all the
obligations and requirements. Every effort is made to
prepare for emergency situations. But not enough attention
is given to personal issues. There are the unlucky “weak
links”, seafarers who fall ill or suffer nervous breakdowns
or who are judged incompetent. It is the defining
characteristic of a ship that everyone onboard, from captain
to ordinary seaman, has an essential role. If one of us
makes a mistake, everyone is affected. During the last year,
with each contract, I have seen two or three seafarers
routinely dismissed.
The captain, chief engineer and chief mate are
particularly under pressure due to such fears as financial
loss or the risk of pollution. The smallest technical
problems, delays or mistakes are reported to the shipping
company. If an individual seafarer is considered culpable,
there will be sanctions against him. This is the harsh and
pitiless system which operates onboard ship today.
Challenges and rewards
Sharing, encountering and
communicating: these words encapsulate my life onboard
The life of a seafarer is both demanding and exciting. It
is demanding because of all the challenges and the
frustrations: far from your friends, family and country.
Separation from loved ones is difficult to accept and
endure. Indians and Filipinos say that they sacrifice
themselves for their families in working long contracts.
Phone and email can help but it is never easy. I know
seafarers who could not endure the heartbreak and chose to
stop sailing. While a seafarer is at sea, there may be
family problems at home. It can make life onboard unbearable
and leave the seafarer feeling miserable.
And yet I feel it is an exciting and enriching life. As
human beings we work together and grow in humanity. Crews
are usually mixed which could be very difficult if
differences of race, language and culture created animosity
among seafarers. In general though, there is a sense of
fellowship and solidarity in the face of difficulty. I
consider myself lucky to lead such a life. Sharing,
encountering and communicating: these words encapsulate my
life onboard as a shipmate and a disciple of Christ. Maybe I
have given a little but I have received so much more from
all seafarers I have met on my way. In all their diversity,
they have helped me to be more human.
Seafarers have many hopes. Firstly, they hope for better
salaries and more overtime to supplement this salary. The
root of this concern is that they want their families to
lead a better life. Secondly they hope for shorter contracts
to ease the pain of separation and improve relationships
with their families. We also ask for better communications
facilities and for port authorities to arrange for transport
into town. Finally, but importantly, we ask that safety
regulations should not restrict seafarers’ rights when
ashore as has happened with the ISPS code.
Respect
We have the right to be treated
better than the cargo which our ships carry.
I think that all this can be summarised in one word:
respect. We have the right to be treated better than the
cargo which our ships carry. Much depends on shipping
companies, manning agencies and governments. We have great
hope for the Consolidated Maritime Convention. Port
authorities also have an important role in assisting
seafarers’ welfare associations to provide their services.
In the modern maritime world, seafarers face
globalisation and a destructive free market economy. The
international seafarers’ unions, represented by the ITF,
give valuable protection. Our Churches are present and
active in denouncing abuses and supporting victims. I am
happy, as a priest, to contribute to this fight.
The maritime world is also the place where different
cultures, peoples and religions mix. It is an experiment in
a new kind of humanity in which people learn to live
together with their differences and in mutual respect. It is
right that the ministry of the Church is active in what is
emerging in this world, working to promote human dignity. Is
not it related to the building of the Kingdom?
Photograph by Summit Terra Helene David: Fr Guy Pasquier
|