Today’s harbour pilots not only have to contend with the great risks inherent in their job. They also face increasing scrutiny over ther pay, the advent of autopilots and, not less important, the public’s lack of understanding of their profession.
The following quotes serve as reminders of the ardous training and qualification pilots have to undergo; the dangers posed by a fickle sea and faulty pilot ladders; and the noble heritage that underpins one of the world’s oldest maritime professions.
There are a myriad of ways to mark the demise of the old year and the dawning of a new one. Some people perform the annual ritual of cleaning house and throwing out flotsam and jetsam. Some listen to old songs. Some go a-drinking and make merry with friends. For those who prefer a little quiet time, here are six unforgettable New Year quotes to reflect on.
What would you consider as the best of times in shipping? The answer, I suppose, will depend on the needs and expectations of those being asked.
Shipping lines would see sustained high freight rates as a godsend; crewing agents, an ample supply of ship officers; nautical schools, a spike in enrolment; and maritime charities, a continued flow of donations. All that, however, has to do with business. I would rather look at shipping as a culture — a conglomerate of general customs and beliefs that define its essential character.
Power drives the shipping world — not money, although everyone seems to be preoccupied with it. The desire for power (and control) is what really spurs the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to issue more and more regulations for ships and crews.
The same motivating force is behind the mistreatment of seafarers by abusive ship masters and rogue shipowners; the use of cadets as unpaid labour by manning agents; the muscle-flexing by seafarer unions; and the inspection visits by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).
The following is just a handful of quotes from those who commanded ships and men in former times. But the words are memorable. They should resonate with today’s merchant ship captains, who face essentially the same challenges as those who came before them.
One of the best definitons of empathy comes from the Psychology Today website: “Empathy is the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person, animal, or fictional character.”
Sounds simple enough. Yet, what can be regarded as one of the noblest of human traits is in short supply in the shipping world. One only has to look at the continued objectificaton and abuse of seafarers amidst — quite ironically — all the talk about their rights and welfare. The following quotes should remind us all about the value of empathy in the cold, mechanistic world of shipping.
Some ship officers stand out as much for their knowledge and experience as for their distinguishing personal qualities. Seven such traits, in my view, are the most important. They define the quintessential officer: integrity, confidence, humility, self-control, patience, fortitude, and empathy. What school can teach these things? I hope the following quotes will inspire the men and women who now wear the officer’s stripe and insignia and the cadets striving to join their ranks.
The vast maritime landscape never lacks for the self-conceited and the arrogant. I have met many such characters, too many in fact — cocky young ship officers, hoity-toity manning agents, overbearing union officials, self-important maritime journalists, and smug maritime academics. They all tend to have a bloated sense of their importance and abilities. My encounters with them prompt me to share the following excellent quotes about pride and humility.
SELF-CONFIDENCE. That is something not taught in maritime academies. Nor is there mention of it in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). Isn’t this odd? How can there be competency if one does not have faith in oneself and his or her ability to do things well?
To be brutally frank, most men have a constant need to validate themselves. They do so in a myriad of ways. Some may go into bodybuilding; engage in numerous casual sex affairs; or speak and act arrogantly. Others express their manliness in more subtle ways, such as driving around town in an expensive SUV or displaying their awards and trophies in their offices for visitors to admire..
It’s a kind of psychological weakness from which many a seafarer is not exempt. Indeed, the obsession with manliness is common in the still-male-dominated world of shipping. The following are some memorable quotes about this male phenomenon.
All mariners, presumably, love their mothers. What kind of man does not? Even when one gets older, marries and has his own family, the emotional bond remains. Fond memories linger even after one’s mother has passed away. In a sense, the umbilical cord is never really cut. The following quotes are some of the most powerful on the subject of mothers and their capacity for making sacrifices and for loving selflessly and unconditionally.
Who can truly know what a seafarer’s life is like? Surely, none but a person who has spent some time at sea and worked his ass off on board a ship. But thanks to nautical writers, the curious landlubber can have an insight into that life and perhaps feel a bit of empathy with seafarers.
The following are excerpts from some of these writers. Although they describe conditions faced by sailors in earlier times, the quoted passages should resonate with present-day readers. The truth is that the sea is still a dangerous place, and life is still hard for many mariners — notwithstanding all the noise about their rights as workers and as human beings.