Lockdown loneliness

How coronavirus is leaving seafarers stranded far from their families

When cargo ship chief officer Taylan Simsek arrived at Leith port in Scotland, he was brimming with excitement and pride.

His wife had just WhatsApped him the scan photo of their baby from her appointment back at home in Turkey.

He showed off the photo to Sailors’ Society’s port chaplain Pauline Robertson, who visited the ship regularly to bring the crew treats from town and offer them any support they needed.

“Taylan was beaming from ear to ear,” Pauline remembers.

“He had just started his five-month contract, so he knew it was going to be tough being away at sea for most of his wife’s pregnancy, but he was thrilled at the thought of returning home in the spring, when his son was due.”

But as the winter weather started to lift, Taylan’s hopes of welcoming his baby into the world melted away with it.

Shipping was one of the first industries to be hit when coronavirus reared its head in China, the world’s largest exporting country, sending shockwaves around the world.

With lockdown, trade began to evaporate and hundreds of ship sailings were cancelled.

Travel restrictions and reduced airline operations left many of the world’s 1.6 million seafarers stranded on board ships when their contracts ended, unable to return home to their families.

Taylan was one of those affected - and he missed the birth of his son.

He and his wife named their baby Atlas, after the mythical Greek strongman, because they know the importance of staying strong when life gets tough.

“It’s a very hard time for us,” said Taylan.

“I’ve never stayed on board for nine months. I’m already very tired, physically and mentally. But my wife is more tired because of the baby and because of the environment, the virus, everything, she’s stressed, thinking too much, losing a lot of weight, and I’m thinking of them.”

"They just want to get home"

Back in Leith, Pauline was supporting several seafarers in the same position.

“It’s really hard,” she said. “A lot of them are struggling. They just want to get home.

“One seafarer told me that his flight home has been cancelled twice.

“They can’t wait to see their families, their suitcases are packed and they’re all geared up to go home – and suddenly it’s not happening.”

One of the seafarers she was supporting, Steve*, did not need a plane to get home because his family lives in Scotland, just 400 miles away from the supply ship he was working on. But he still couldn't see them because he was not allowed to leave the port.

His contract was doubled from four weeks to eight because of the pandemic, and it came at the worst time for him and his family.

One of his daughters lost her best friend to cancer; the other lost her job due to coronavirus. His wife is a key worker, so he was anxious about her safety, and his elderly mother had just been taken into hospital, but he couldn't be by her side.

Pauline said: “They were going through really tough times and they really needed him; he wanted to be with them more than anything. He was desperate to give them a hug.”

The charity launched mental health resources and a helpline, and continued to support seafarers who are struggling to pay the bills because their income has been frozen by the pandemic.

Some of its chaplains’ operations around the world have been temporarily restricted by port closures during peaks of the pandemic.

"Steve said it made his day to see me when he was stuck there, not knowing what the future was going to be like,” added Pauline.

“As a chaplain, I’m there to listen and to serve. I was his hands and feet, posting letters to his family when he couldn't get out of port."

*Steve’s name has been changed to maintain his privacy

We can only be there for seafarers like Taylan and Steve with your help. You can show your support by donating here.

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