Water, water, everywhere...
RITESH KUMAR
THE WORDS still hold relevance to the shipping personnel; nonetheless, it is the same seawater that is being used on board for drinking! Shipping has changed and it is no more the same kind of adventurous job involving a great deal of risk and requiring extra muscled workers. Technology has had its share of benefits but then it has certainly abated the excitement involved in the profession.
Ships have become large; the last one where the author sailed resembled a floating city! They are more or less like an industry in themselves as the amount of machinery on board has increased significantly and the engine room now resembles no less than a big multi-storied building. Large size has reduced the ability of the ships to enter all the ports and stand-by moorings and ship to ship operations have become all too rampant. As a result, though the ships near territorial waters more frequently than earlier times, the actual time elapsed before the crew gets to go down on the port is much more.
Over the time, ships have undergone a massive change. They have become highly automated and even old ships, say, those whose keel was laid 30 years ago, have been required either by international laws or by the fierce competition in the shipping industry to follow the same path. The result has been a drastic cut in the number of sailing staff, say, from 50 to 60 in olden days to the present trend of around 25, and the least time involved at the port of call. In fact, tankers of enormous size seldom stay for more than 24 hours at its port of call!
Extra burden
The reduced time at the port and the extra burden on the ship staff have had their toll. A report relating to the shipping fraternity says that they are very much prone to neurological disorders and ennui due to increased stress and workload.
But then the ships have become safer. The day a person is on board, it is required that he acquaints himself with all the safety aspects incorporated in the vessel such as the location of emergency mustering point, fire plan contents and the duties to be performed during precarious situations.
But the guarantee of safety has led to the enforcement of too many laws on board. One law stipulates that the alcohol content of ship staff should not exceed 0.04 per cent. So, even if a person wishes to go for a second beer after a hard day, he needs to think twice! Then, the on board training has become stricter. A large number of drills and safety briefings may seem to a layman like battlefield preparedness! And then, the battlefields are surely set when the ship reaches the port and a port inspector comes on board.
All these have led to an undue stress on the mariner, having little time to enjoy (or rather relax!). So though "water, water, everywhere but not a drop to drink" may not be technically true today, its psychological relevance with regard to the sailing community is much more significant than earlier times.
These leave one to ponder if the shipping companies have contrived to do something germane to the issue of improving the life of people on board. Companies have surely come up with novel plans such as better amenities for the people on board and reduced contract periods, but much needs to be done with respect to psychological aspects of the persons.
It is the need of the hour that a person especially trained to deal with such problems is appointed on board. With training in multiple disciplines such as environmental protection, this marine psychologist will surely do much to restore the charm of the marine profession.
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