Why seafarers are leaving sea
• Written by user696490091
Why Good Seafarers Are Leaving - And We Are All to Blame
They didn’t leave because they couldn’t handle the sea.
They left because the system made them feel disposable.
Because their hours of rest were fiction.
Because safety drills were rushed.
Because they hadn’t slept in 30 hours - but still had to explain themselves to someone behind a desk.
They left because loyalty was repaid with inspections, not protection.
With reports - not recognition.
With pressure - never support.
We lost good captains.
We lost chief engineers - professionals who could feel a vibration shift before the sensor did.
We lost second mates who stood 6-hour duties for years without a single complaint. Engineers fighting with no spares but still delivers quality! Restless ratings...
And do you know why?
Because we built a system where human resilience is expected - but never respected.
Where auditors write “non-conformity” instead of asking why the man collapsed.
Where budget cuts override critical maintenance.
Where silence is professionalism - and exhaustion is just “part of the job.” Take it or leave it, they say.
So yes, we left.
But worst of all?
You can do a thousand things right in this industry.
You can carry a fleet on your back. Sail through hell and ice. Lead crews in chaos.
But one bad moment.
One decision made under impossible pressure - and that’s all they’ll remember.
That becomes your legacy.
This article is not a theory.
It came like a blade to the throat.
Today I spoke with a friend - a captain who gave everything.
43 years old. Ten full commands since 2016.
Super tankers. Dual-fuel. Vetting nightmares.
Ten command rotations. Ten brutal vessels.
SIRE flawless records. Drydock miracles. Safety culture like no other.
Young, solid, with knowledge in excess.
And yet… one misstep.
One incident that didn’t even cost the company a cent. Not even worth to mention!
However, that one moment erased all the rest.
They locked the door.
They put him on ice - as we say. And he was out.
That’s the system.
Who actually lost?
I’ll leave the answer to all of us...
So next time someone asks,
“Why can’t we find good seafarers anymore?”
Look around.
Look up.
Look inward.
