Gordon Foot, MNWB Ambassador, describes life at sea on Day of the Seafarer (June 25th) “Carrying world trade. Carrying the risks”.
I have been a seafarer for over four decades, serving on both submarines and ships.
Over that time, I’ve come to understand risk—but it’s not always what people think it is.
For many, risk is associated with uncertainty or something going wrong. From a seafarer’s perspective, it is more a part of everyday life—an awareness that not everything is predictable, and that experience, judgement and preparation help guide the way forward.
At sea, that sense of responsibility is always present. It’s there in the wide range of cargo we carry—from everyday goods to energy and communications—and in the ships we work on. It’s also part of the natural environment around us, where weather and changing conditions are constant factors.
Seafaring also brings its own way of life. Long periods away from home, working at a distance from many of the services people rely on ashore, and adapting to different routines are all part of the experience. These are aspects of the job that shape both the challenge and the commitment of those who work at sea.
Geopolitics, conflict and recent hostilities in coastal regions have further highlighted the dangers of a career at sea. History also reminds us how fragile life can be through tragedies such as the RMS Titanic, Piper Alpha, Herald of Free Enterprise, MS Estonia, Deepwater Horizon (Macondo) and the Sewol ferry disaster.
For those of us at sea, these realities are simply part of the profession. They are accepted, managed and understood as we go about our work. But we do this job because we value it and take pride in it. In carrying world trade, we play an important part in keeping everyday life moving.
This campaign is an opportunity to share that understanding more widely, and to recognise the work of seafarers everywhere.
Gordon Foot
MNWB Ambassador and long-serving seafarer
