4 May 2020: Webinar "You are not alone"

“The Alumni of the Maritime Academy have organised a webinar about the problems that the current crews are experiencing during this corona crisis. For me, it is the first time that I am participating in such a video conference. For a moment I thought that my computer knowledge would be insufficient, but it was all quite okay. Taking into account that the internet was not equally good everywhere, everything was usually easy to understand. A total of 96 people from all over the world were logged into the video conference.

One of the organisers was our colleague river pilot Tim Heiremans. After a short introduction by the director of the Maritime Academy: Rowan Van Schaeren, the floor was first given to Jeroen Overloop, lawyer at the government, Shipping Directorate and member of the National Crisis Centre. He explained that sailors are considered by Belgium as “key workers” in the “logistic chain of supply”. In other words, indispensable people to keep the economy going. In this sense, they are given certain facilities. But what do you do with that if you are given permission to travel across national borders when there are no planes flying!

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible here. Certificates that are about to expire can be extended exceptionally upon simple request. Problems can sometimes be solved with a good dose of improvisation, also by the government. He gave the example: a Dutch crew member with a shortage of underwear (those frugal Dutch again). He was allowed to go ashore but all the shops were closed. His father wanted to come to Antwerp to bring some things but he was not allowed to cross the border. Jeroen did not explain how they solved it exactly but the boy did get his underpants.

Not all countries have the same rules: for example, in many ports no crew member is allowed on deck while loading and unloading is taking place! Try resolving a conflict with a stevedore.

This is not an ordinary cruise ship, in the sense that many passengers “own” their cabin. When the crisis started in China, everyone thought it would be limited to Asia. But when the first deaths occurred outside Asia, the shipping company decided just in time to send all passengers back home from Australia while it was still possible. And this despite great protest from those passengers. Then a long journey in uncertainty began. Two thirds of the crew were also sent home. First the ship remained against the quay for a few weeks, then it had to make way for other ships and they anchored for a few days, which became a few weeks and then they drifted at sea. Eventually they were able to bunker and take on stores in Sri Lanka. But they keep their spirits up.

What Naomi found most terrible was that cruise ships are now considered pariahs in the world, while they actually do the strictest medical checks. Things were still going reasonably well for them, but some shipping companies are dismissing their crews without permission to disembark anywhere. They are forced to stay on board… without being paid!!

A new crew will first be in isolation on board for two weeks before they are allowed to start working. They will be quarantined in a completely closed off part of the ship. And none of the shore staff is allowed on board (with the exception of the pilot). The uncertainty about the future makes life on board very difficult.

When the crisis broke out, Jan De Nul had several projects running in China, including Hong Kong. She talked about four important problems:

- Correct information: how do you get it and how can you get correct information among all the “fake news”. And it changes from day to day. - Travel restrictions: was hopeless chaos from the start of the crisis and will remain so for a long time.

- Quarantine: both for individuals and entire ships.

- Medical care, provisions and crew change: ordinary sick people are no longer allowed to disembark to receive basic medical care on land, and if they are allowed to disembark, they cannot return to the ship.

She wondered whether it would not be possible for sailors worldwide to be given a special status, comparable to what diplomats now have.

He apologized for his appearance, but they had just started a moustache competition on board. Whoever has the longest moustache by the time they can sign off wins a prize. As a captain, he now has a full-time job as a psychologist, and he did not have any training for that at the Maritime Academy. But they are also keeping their spirits up. For the Europeans on board, a relief is planned around May 9 (if it goes ahead). They have now been on board for 12 weeks, while they are normally relieved after 6 weeks. They work 12 hours a day. The Asians on board have it even worse. They have now been on board for 7 months and have no prospect of relief. And if they can ever go home, they have to go into quarantine immediately upon arrival. And this while one of the spouses is expecting a baby soon, and another has a spouse who works in the front line in a hospital (who will take care of the children if dad is at sea and mom gets infected). One of the problems is that some need medication and that is now running out.

But all in all they are doing reasonably well (considering the circumstances) because as a sailor you are used to living in isolation and being separated from your family (but there are limits).

The captain did wonder what the future will bring:

- After the Titanic came SOLAS (international treaty for the protection of life at sea)

- After the Torey Canyon came MARPOL (legislation on pollution at sea)

- After 9/11 (world trade center in New York) came ISPS (legislation on security on board)

- After corona comes….?

At the end of the conference a video was shown that was recorded on board a cruise (ghost) ship, without passengers on board, where the artists on board sing and dance and at the same time images can be seen of the crews during their daily work, and on their i phones they show photos of their family who are unreachable. A very moving video, that everyone in the world should see: very moving, beautiful, very beautiful, but….very sad.”