Port Visitor
Port Visitor
We have made the strategic decision to close the Port Visitor Platform. This step reflects our commitment to adapting to changing needs and technologies within the maritime sector.
While the platform will no longer operate, our dedication to supporting seafarers and port communities remains unwavering. Through our network of Port Welfare Committees, we continue to collaborate closely with ports and stakeholders to identify and deliver the most effective solutions in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Our focus is on ensuring welfare services remain accessible, relevant, and responsive to the needs of those we serve.
UK Ports Interactive Map
Where to find help
Helplines and chat services give seafarers and their families access to speak to someone who can listen and signpost additional help if needed.
The services listed below have staff trained to respond to challenges that are specific to seafarers or the maritime industry.
ITF and National Unions
Nautilus International in the U.K. provides Nautilus 24/7.The National Union of Seafarers of India runs NUSI Sahara, a psychological helpline to assist seafarers and their families.
ISWAN and National Seafarers’ Welfare Boards
SeafarerHelp is a helpline run by the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network, headquartered near London, UK. It is free, confidential, and multilingual, available 24 hours a day. The SeafarerHelp team can be reached on a wide variety of voice and text platforms and seeks to respond to any type of problem a seafarer might have. SeafarerHelp has also produced a number of online resources on mental wellbeing for seafarers available on their website.
Other ISWAN-member national seafarers’ welfare boards provide helpline services. The Danish seafarers’ welfare charity, Sea Health & Welfare has set up a crisis helpline.
The U.K. Merchant Navy Welfare Board has redesigned SeafarerSupport. SeafarerSupport is a free confidential telephone and online referral service. It helps support serving and former UK seafarers and their families in times of need. Learn more here.
Suicide Prevention Helplines
A number of local seafarers’ welfare ministries actively share information for seafarers to connect with suicide prevention helplines.
Befrienders Worldwide is the largest umbrella organisation providing emotional support around the world, with over 350 branches operating in 35 countries.
Branches of Samaritans in port cities like Singapore and Hong Kong are available. The United States Suicide Prevention Lifeline is also a resource.
The Maritime Industry
Australian mental health provider Hunterlink delivers an international maritime employee assistance model that is providing mental wellness support to international seafarers from around the globe.
iCALL, a free psychological helpline run by Mumbai-based Synergy Group partnered with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
iCALL is available 24/7 and free of charge to maritime personnel worldwide. The service is aimed at improving mental health support for sea and shore-based maritime personnel.
All of these services seek to provide care for seafarers and even their families who have specific challenges or need to speak to someone. If you know of other helplines or chat services available at this time specifically for merchant mariners, please let us know and we will add them to this list.
Source: NAMMA
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Wellbeing Training
Wellness at Sea
Good crew welfare is essential to the effective running of a ship – so it’s a vital component of effective maritime business.
Sailors’ Society’s innovative Wellness at Sea coaching programme empowers seafarers to look after their own well-being. It also aims to help companies maintain high levels of welfare, enabling them to achieve the best performance from their crew, particularly when they face difficult circumstances.
Sailors’ Society is at the forefront of seafarer wellness and has specifically designed a coaching programme to reflect the needs of seafarers and their employers by promoting cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, social skills and spiritual well-being alongside more familiar skills. This is delivered bespoke to meet the requirements of each company.
Find out more
WeCare
The life of a seafarer is by no means easy as they face lengthy spells away from their families with limited communication opportunities whilst battling often challenging conditions. This can impact their wellbeing, resulting in feelings of anxiety, depression, and in worst cases, thoughts of suicide.
To combat this, we have launched the WeCare programme in partnership with UK P&I Club which aims to provide wellbeing training for seafarers to help them learn to cope with these situations better.
These courses are available free of charge to UK P&I Club members and are also available to non-members for a small donation. The programme consists of two courses –financial wellbeing and social wellbeing, delivered across workshops, seminars, and e-learning. The most popular of these courses was taken by over 6,000 seafarers or their family members in 2019 alone.
Find out more