Over the past few months Colin has been reminded by the importance of simply "being there" for seafarers. His latest updates reflect the variety of their needs - seeking practical assistance and spiritual and emotional care...

Reconnecting: I was contacted by a Bulgarian captain who reminded me that we had first met four years ago! He was delighted to meet me again on board and appreciated the gifts for the crew. On this occasion I was able to help him celebrate his birthday by finding a really lovely Irish souvenir which we organised to be posted to him in Bulgaria. It was great to connect again with a seafarer who I have known for over 10 years.

Bon Voyage: I was blessed with the opportunity to join a small ship for a brief voyage. As I had 2 days off work and the timing was perfect! We set sail from Cork on Saturday afternoon and anchored near Waterford. This company has a policy that there should be no work on Sunday, and each mealtime the captain reads the Bible to the crew and then they have a short time of silent prayer! It was a wonderful experience to sail with them, and I especially enjoyed the one-to-one conversations. 

Easter Celebrations: One of the Russian cooks has brought food colouring in order to dye eggs for their Easter celebration on board. They asked me to bring them charcoal tomorrow as they want to celebrate Easter with a BBQ on board. A Russian cook from another ship sent me photos of the eggs and treats he prepared for the Russian Orthodox Easter on board.

'SCFS Taxi!' The 'SCFS Taxi' has been in demand recently. I have been busy recently ferrying seafarers to shops, church services and out on day trips to the Fota Wildlife Park. Two Filipino sailors enjoyed a memorable visit at a local farm. Three of the 'caretaker' crew from the Matthew 'drug' ship were delighted to go to church and later to the safari park for a walk.

One day I felt like a Yo-Yo as I drove crew back and forth from 2 ships to Cork city, but it was a pleasure to help out like this and the seafarers were so grateful!

Indian crew members loved going ashore with me to Cobh to relax and do some sight- seeing. It was a great time to chat and establish friendships. They proudly showed me photos of their home, a really beautiful part of India.

A Filipino called Joseph on one ship told me that he named his son Cork Matthew because he was born while he was on board in the Port of Cork!

With it being a Bank Holiday weekend, I decided not to reach out to the Filipino crew again about Sunday service, as I’d already sent an invitation. It was a lovely surprise when the Captain unexpectedly messaged me to ask for a lift.

'Trapped at Sea': Recently I chatted with a 75-year- old seafarer in port and a Chief engineer who  is 67 years old and started his seaman career 50 years ago! When I mentioned this to a younger sailor on a different ship it led to a deep conversation about younger seafarers who feel "trapped" by the sea, struggling to find land-based jobs to support their families...

"How can I 'escape' from working my whole life at sea? I have searched, and no-one seems interested in employing a seafarer to work in a land-based job. Companies aren't interested in this question.There are thousands who are trapped in the 'shipping trap' and have no idea how to escape. Most simply see it as their destiny to be a human ATM machine for their family for the rest of their lives."

Recently one of the shipping agents made contact requesting pastoral support to a ship mourning a death on board. What a privilege to be a listening ear and to offer some comfort in times of need.

A Helping Hand: For the crew of the Matthew, I’ve assisted with complex Revenue documentation, providing them with the local postal address they lacked.

"Please Sir, can you help me buy a phone". On another ship, I helped a Burmese sailor find the perfect phone for his wife. Later, on our way back to the ship we called at the SCFS port-a-cabin and collected donated clothes and shoes for the crew.  This delighted one of the men who had lost all his luggage at the airport.

I was able to bring another seafarer to the Post Office to send money home for one of his colleagues on board.

A Romanian Chief Officer and Chief Engineer had planned to have a BBQ party to raise the spirits of their Filipino crew. I was able to help them purchase the charcoal and meat. Some of the crew were also able to come ashore to go for a bike ride. 

Fáilte! Welcome! Tuloy po kayo! Kyo zo ba de!: As the cruise ships return to Cobh, our Crew Lounge and volunteer team are back in action! The SCFS Cobh team is excited to welcome hundreds of crew members back to our lounge showing these hardworking men and women that they are valued and not forgotten. We have a fantastic team here who run the Crew Lounge and make gifts such as the wooden Jesus signs and the Gospel Hats! One of the ladies has sourced these beautiful flat-pack mini boxes - a beautiful Christian gift for lady crew members.

Click on the photo below for a snippet of Colin's Cork Cruise below: