2nd Attempt-Coronavirus Covid 19 and the Marine Industry

Canadian crews agree to not go ashore due to coronavirus crisis

4/10 - Halifax, NS – Though international shipping lanes and Canada's major ports remain open for business, the COVID-19 pandemic is making life miserable for many seafarers. Under the latest rules, Canadian crews aboard most Canadian-flagged cargo vessels have agreed not to leave their ships when they arrive at their destinations, which means they can be restricted to their vessels for up to three months at a time.

The crews on some foreign-flagged ships, meanwhile, are being told they'll be stuck on their ships – without shore leave – for up to nine months. "It's a real stressful situation," Jim Given, president of the Seafarers' International Union of Canada, said in an interview Wednesday.

"That outside contact is being lost for those seafarers. As a maritime community, we're going to have to figure out how we handle this. Everybody is trying their best, but it's very difficult."

Helen Glenn, manager of the Mission of Seafarers, said her non-profit group is doing its best to help, even though the mission's building on the Halifax waterfront has been temporarily closed. Glenn said she has been making arrangements through shipping agents to contact each ship's captain via cellphone or email to determine what crew members need before their ship arrives at the Port of Halifax.

At the top of every shopping list is a request for cellphone SIM cards, which give users access to long-distance calling and the internet. "They would be unable to connect with their families without getting a data card or SIM card," Glenn said, adding that she and her volunteers no longer board the vessels. Instead, there's a brief exchange at the bottom of the gangway.

"It gives them the ability to make calls, send email, Skype and use FaceTime. Without these, they literally cannot reach their families."

Glenn said communication tools like Wi-Fi and satellite phones are often unavailable aboard cargo ships, which contributes to a sense of isolation. "Mental health during this tumultuous time is of the utmost importance, and these guys can't even get off the vessel," she said. "Shore leave is critical to their mental health. This situation is very sad."

However, Glenn said everyone in the shipping industry understands how important it is to keep commercial ships virus-free. Given, whose union represents about 90 per cent of the Canadian-flagged fleet of cargo vessels, said federal and provincial rules regarding shore leave has been changing in recent weeks.

"Right now, it's a bit all over the map, and we're trying to get it pinned down," said Given, whose organization speaks for about 6,000 non-officers working aboard bulk carriers, oil tankers, passenger ferries and other commercial cargo ships.

Given said Canada's shipping companies and their unions have agreed that crew members should not have shore leave to ensure they do not get infected with COVID-19. "We think that's the best way to keep our members safe and the economy rolling," he said in an interview from his home in St. Catharines, Ont. "Not all of our members are happy about being restricted on board the ship. Some of them still want to get off. Our job is to make sure they are safe."

However, Given agreed that mental health becomes a key concern when there are long stretches without shore leave. "We've given out numbers and our companies have employee-assistance programs set up so the members can call if they are feeling stressed or fatigued," he said, adding that talks are underway to determine if crews can work longer than three months at a time.

Some foreign shipping companies have already extended their crews' contracts by a month, and there are ongoing negotiations aimed at extending some contracts to a year.

"When you get to that length on board, it gets dangerous," Given says. "Fatigue sets in. There are stress factor that are enormous."

The Standard

I don't know of a single person that believed the virus to be a hoax. I don't know of a single person that didn't carry some level of true concern with regards to the adverse potential impact of this virus. When you consider how many thousands of people die each and every year from "just another flu", it would seem that the take on comparisons was both reasonable and accurate, even as we understand that the viruses (flu v COVID) are completely unique.

Honestly, I really think sitting in the midst of New York media has your perspective quite jaded as compared to what many others are both seeing as well as saying within other parts of the country and world. Especially the nonsense regarding "hoax". Scientific models for this virus were as ill prepared for the virus as were the local and state governments. Yes, virus bad. No, no hoax. Yes, we'll be ok. Mortality rates are nowhere near the alleged 2-10% that was floated back in March.

Business should themselves be gearing up for a restart. I believe it's imminent, although I'm certain the administration will allow governors to police their own states much as it did with the shut down.

Just look at links I posted earlier with articles from USA Today and washington Post ... back February THEY were calling it a hoax and no worst than the flu. How their narrative as changed since ...

Yesterday Dr Ben Carson again reiterated the need to focus on the positive which is as most people will recover.

I agree especially about the modeling.

the problem is that governors and some counties will not follow guidelines from the administration or CDC to ease restrictions. I don’t want to go into politics but to some elected officials the more people are collecting unemployment the more control they have over them. And their vote.

Look at Miami Dade mayor has shut down public marinas while the governor has issued common sense effective guidelines that allow responsible boaters to use their boats

I apologize. I figured other industries such as RE and their Tenants was fair game in that it showed economic problems across the board which would lead to a reasonable conclusion that it would trickle down to the discretionary spending that boats and boating represent. I have tried not to blacken eyes though I may have been off topic.

Fuel should not be a big deal as most boats coming down for the winter have longer range. May need to down a bit and plan ahead. When I used to run a 70 back n forth between Miami and Nantucket I would usually refuel in Myrtle Beach, Norfolk and Pt Judith/Newport. Same with docking... plenty of anchorages along the way. Fuelingwas usually the only time I d dock on the trip