Taking a break aboard a ship in Antwerp’s port, an Indonesian seafarer talks about his wife and two children. His tone becomes serious as he says: “I miss my daughters,” which is followed by a reflective pause.

Mohamad Al Amin, like many seamen, spends nine months a year away from his family. Most sailors, particularly those from developing nations, choose this lifestyle only because it provides a much better income than jobs in their home countries. As Al Amin says: “Good for money – worse for life.”

Antwerp, the second largest port in Europe, welcomes 15,000 ocean-going ships every year. The global economy is hugely affected by shipping, as 90% of international trade is shipped by sea. And yet, seafarers are a largely forgotten and isolated community, many of whom aren’t even allowed to leave the ship when in port.

That’s where the Antwerp Seafarers’ Centre comes in, housing a dedicated group of organisations that serve the emotional and practical needs of these seamen in Flanders.

Marc Schippers, whose family name means “son of a shipman”, comes from a line of seafarers. He never thought he’d work in the industry, but for the last 10 years, he’s been a port chaplain with the Sailors’ Society, the oldest of the handful of organisations working from the Seafarers’ Centre. Five days a week, Schippers visits ships along Antwerp’s left bank, while his colleagues cover other parts of the large port.

Since they meet people from various nationalities and religious affiliations, Schippers lets the seafarers dictate what they want to talk about, whether it’s practical information about Antwerp, family concerns or spiritual guidance. The seamen often don’t feel comfortable discussing personal issues with their co-workers.

“A port chaplain is an independent person. We aren’t union inspectors,” says Schippers. “We are seen and respected as someone they can trust, in whom they can confide.”

Going on board

During a recent cold, rainy afternoon, Schippers parked his car near the port, and we rode bicycles to reach each ship. On one vessel, the sailors were busy with work and only had time to buy telephone calling cards, one service the chaplains offer.

Aboard other ships, a few sailors on break joined us for coffee and conversation. One seaman shared the strong contrast between his time on another ship and his current employer. Filipino Junrey Mejos says his contract on a previous ship was for $500 (about €380) a month, and there was little food. The contract, originally for nine months, was extended to 18 months at sea. Hearing this story, Schippers kept repeating: “That’s criminal.”

While international laws regulate sailors’ working conditions, Schippers says that many cases have shown companies taking advantage of seafarers to cut budgets. Mejos’ new employer pays more than twice as much as his previous contract, and he can have all the food he wants during meals. Unfortunately, however, this isn’t the case for all sailors, and the chaplains are some of the few who hear about the working conditions on board.

“In Antwerp, we keep in contact with local authorities, with companies and with all kinds of services that are involved in maritime in order to help sailors improve their conditions,” says Jörg Pfautsch, chaplain with the German Seamen’s Mission, also housed in the Antwerp Seafarers’ Centre.

A sailor’s advocate

This isn’t an easy task, since many sailors don’t want to come forward with their concerns for fear of being fired. But if a seafarer specifically asks for help, then the chaplains use their connections and become advocates for sailors’ rights.

Schippers recalls one case that was “extreme” where “everything went wrong”. The living and working conditions were so poor that the crew decided in Antwerp not to get back on the ship. After talking with the shipping company, the crew agreed to go on board again if Schippers stayed with them overnight.

“I spent the night in the third engineer’s cabin, and in the morning, my German and English colleagues relieved me,” says Schippers.

Something significant or traumatic may happen to sailors’ families while they’re at sea, but there isn’t anything they can do about it, thousands of kilometres away. This is when confiding in chaplains becomes particularly useful. Schippers has heard stories such as: “We’ve had a typhoon in the Philippines, and my house is flooded, and I lost all my belongings.”

Recently, a shipping company asked Pfautsch to visit a ship after a seafarer died on board. “During certain emotional moments, we stand by them, and they can count on us,” says Pfautsch.

Other events are joyful, but the sailor isn’t at home to experience it in person. “We met a guy whose wife had a baby five months ago, and he’s not going to go home for another four months,” says Niklas Borchers, a volunteer with the German Seamen’s Mission.

Schippers says he regularly confronts sailors who deal with marital problems, many who become “like strangers” with their spouses.

Medical care and sport

To better cope with these stressful situations, Antwerp doctors and the chaplains are working to promote sailors’ physical well-being. Robert Verbist, a doctor at Antwerp’s Mediport, which provides medical services to seafarers, has collaborated with the chaplains, asking them to bring preventive health-care information on board the ships.

“We’ve had great support from the welfare committees in Antwerp,” he says. Verbist also teaches at the Antwerp Maritime Academy and has been affiliated with the International Committee on Seafarers’ Welfare; he would like to see more opportunities for sailors to exercise.

“It’s not easy to stay in good physical condition, not with the work they have to do, and there are not many facilities on board,” explains Verbist. One way the Seafarers’ Centre is tackling this issue is by collaborating with the Antwerp Port Authority to offer sports near the port from mid-April to mid-October. While it’s not always easy getting sailors to play sports with what little freetime they have, the chaplains have had some success in organising matches.

“It is just amazing to see how much sport is reducing their stress,” says Borchers. “They take part with their co-workers and have a really good time. Sport is exertion on a completely different level than work.”

As a sailor’s work also can be dangerous, sometimes they seek medical care after an accident. “If a seafarer is hospitalised in Antwerp for any reason, we always get in touch with one of the chaplains or volunteers, so they can visit them regularly and offer support,” explains Verbist.

Even the chaplains have to be careful, as Schippers learned when he first started his work in Antwerp. “When my port vehicle was only four months old, a forklift slammed into it,” he says. “It was quite dramatic.”

Evolving industry

With increasing technology, security regulations and cost-cutting measures, the shipping industry and the work of the chaplains have seen significant changes in the last few decades.

About 25 years ago, ships were at the port for longer periods, meaning seafarers had more time to go into the city for fun, says Pfautsch. Now, since many ships have a 24-hour or less turnaround, sailors might not go ashore for months at a time.

The Antwerp Seafarers’ Centre, located in the centre on one of the city’s busiest streets, the Italiëlei, used to have longer hours, but now it’s only open in the evenings from 19.00 to 23.00. With fewer hours, the chaplains spend more time on the road trying to visit most of the 30 to 50 ships coming to Antwerp every day. This makes the work more “dynamic,” says Schippers, as he doesn’t know ahead of time how many ships will be at the port on a given day.

“You never know what you’re going to encounter,” he says. Schippers believes that the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, introduced after 9/11, has also contributed to restricting sailors’ ability to enter cities their ships visit. This code now makes it more difficult to get in and out of ports.

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Christmas in port

While not as many sailors get a chance to visit Antwerp when at port as in the past, there are still those who find some time to leave their ships. Thanks to a free nightly bus service financed by the Port Authority, seafarers can go to the Antwerp Seafarers’ Centre to have a drink, buy a few commonly needed items, talk with chaplains and fellow sailors and go online. Many sailors don’t have access to the internet on board, so this allows them to video chat with their families.

The chaplains also organise events, the biggest being the annual Christmas Eve service. In December, about 100 seafarers attended a mass led by the chaplains, who are from a variety of Christian denominations. After the service, Schippers dons a Santa suit and goes around the room asking sailors to sing songs from their home countries. Volunteers also hand out gifts and food.

While being far away from home during the holidays is particularly difficult for many sailors, they could be seen smiling and laughing together on that recent evening in the centre of Antwerp.