The Mission to Seafarers Victoria

26/04/2026

What’s going on with shipping right now?

If you need to know what’s going on with shipping right now or just interested in how current world events are changing shipping then don’t miss the opportunity to hear from the President of the International Transport Federation and outgoing National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia Paddy Crumlin at The Mission to Seafarers Victoria Fund Raising lunch on 28 May 2026.

Join us for our Inaugural Seafarer Session Luncheon, providing an opportunity for the Maritime and Transport sectors and those interested in the world of shipping to gather together and engage in a range of relevant topics – from comical to controversial, political to personal, but always entertaining! Our special Guest Speaker Paddy Crumlin will provide insights and a live Q and A Session.

Feel free to stay on after lunch and network with friends and colleagues at the bar!

Tickets include a 2 course lunch including beer, wine and soft drink. Individual tickets are $150 and tables of 10 for $1,250

For enquiries and tickets please contact: [email protected]

16/03/2026

𝘽𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙃𝙀, 𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙀𝙏, 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙍𝙀𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙉𝙀𝘾𝙏 😮‍💨

After months at sea with only the ocean as company, stepping ashore isn’t just a moment — it’s a lifeline.

Right now, more than 1 in 4 seafarers don’t get any shore leave at all during their contracts — often lasting over 6 months — and even when they do, nearly half spend less than 3 hours on land before they must return to work. That’s what recent global research shows about the erosion of this essential break. (seafarerstrust)

For many like A/B Lee, those few steps off the ship mean feeling human again — a chance to breathe, reset, and reconnect with the world beyond the deck. Shore leave isn’t a luxury. It’s vital for mental health, welfare, and staying safe at sea.

If you support seafarers having real time on land, share this story.

12/03/2026

Win a Port Phillip Sea Pilot Boat Experience.

Tickets from $10.

Your chance to win an experience that money can't buy! Enter the Mission to Seafarers Victoria raffle to potentially win a trip of a lifetime for you and a friend on board a high speed pilot launch with Port Phillip Sea Pilots taking a pilot boat from their base in Queenscliff out of the Heads through the Rip to the Melbourne Pilot Boarding Ground and watching a Port Phillip Sea Pilot board or disembark a ship! (See terms and conditions).

Click here for details

Mission to Seafarers Victoria Inc. | Port Phillip Sea Pilot Boat Experience | Drawn on: Tuesday, 31 March 2026 11:00 AM

23/02/2026

In a 109-year-old building wedged between mirrored high-rises in Melbourne's CBD, a volunteer team supports a little-known workforce that spends months at a time at sea.

An initiative of the Anglican church, the Mission to Seafarers Melbourne branch is one of 230 connected mission sites around the world.

See more: https://ab.co/4aHktmr

Personalise your news and stay in the know with the ABC NEWS app: https://ab.co/abcnewsapp

21/01/2026

Get tickets on Humanitix - Port of Melbourne Boat Tours 2026 hosted by Port of Melbourne. PLEASE NOTE: DEPARTURE POINT: Corner of Victoria Harbour Promenade and Harbour Esplanade, Docklands. VESSEL NAME: Kingfisher II (operated by Magic Charters), 800 Bourke St, Docklands VIC 3008, Australia. Dates....

23/12/2025

Many seafarers endure tough conditions because they feel compelled to make sacrifices to support their families......

Emeritus Professor Helen Sampson, former director of Cardiff University’s Seafarers’ International Research Centre, has received The Maritime Foundation Award for Best Book at the Maritime Media Awards for her work Sea-Time: An Ethnographic Adventure.

The book offers a rare, in-depth insight into life at sea, documenting the difficult realities faced by many seafarers, including poor working conditions, extended periods away from home, and a gradual erosion of autonomy and authority on board vessels. It also examines major structural changes within the shipping industry, such as the decline of family-owned companies and increasing consolidation through mergers, which the research suggests have profoundly reshaped shipboard life.

Sampson reveals that many seafarers endure these conditions because they feel compelled to make sacrifices to support their families. Her findings indicate that, despite the continued expansion of global shipping, working conditions at sea have deteriorated in recent years. The research also highlights how fear of job loss discourages many seafarers—particularly those on short-term or insecure contracts—from reporting problems on board.

An estimated 1.5 million people are working at sea worldwide at any given time, often in demanding environments. Sampson’s work underscores how issues on board ships are frequently underreported, as precarious employment arrangements leave many seafarers reluctant to raise concerns that could put their livelihoods at risk.

16/12/2025

Just one su***de among seafarers is one too many.

The maritime industry is facing a silent mental health crisis — and it’s now a serious operational risk. Gard’s 2025 Crew Claims Report delivers a stark warning: su***de now causes more deaths at sea than accidental injuries, accounting for 11% of all seafarer deaths between 2019 and 2023. This is not inevitable — it’s systemic failure.

As Martin Hedman of maritime healthcare company VIKAND highlights in The Sea, while isolation is a constant challenge, suicidal thoughts are often triggered by “explosive issues” such as onboard harassment, disrespect, and unresolved conflict.

The problem is likely even bigger than the data shows. Su***de is widely underreported, and research by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust found that 1 in 5 seafarers has experienced suicidal thoughts.

Seafarers face unique pressures: they can’t work from home, can’t leave when things get tough, and often carry stress from family, financial, or relationship crises back home. Onboard conflict can turn these pressures into breaking points.

At Mission to Seafarers Victoria, our proactive ship-visiting and shore-leave programs aim to identify these challenges early and help address seafarers’ concerns — because mental health support at sea must be active, visible, and shared.

🧭 Seafarer well-being is not optional. It’s a responsibility.

20/10/2025

Get tickets on Humanitix - Port of Melbourne Boat Tours 2025 hosted by Port of Melbourne. Magic Charters, 880 Bourke St, Docklands VIC 3008, Australia. Dates from Saturday 1st March 2025. Find event information.

06/10/2025

Win a ride on a Pilot Boat.

Don’t miss your chance to win a money can’t buy experience of a ride on an Auriga Sea Pilot Boat.

Enter the Mission to Seafarers Victoria Inc. raffle for your chance to win a trip of a lifetime for you and a friend talking an Auriga Pilot boat from their base in Queenscliff (Victoria) out of the Heads to the Melbourne Pilot Boarding ground and watch an Auriga Pilot board a ship. (Conditions apply).

This money can’t buy experience has been donated by Auriga Pilots Melbourne Pty Ltd to support the welfare work of the Mission to Seafarers Victoria in the Port of Melbourne.

Click here to buy your tickets https://www.raffletix.com.au/portphillipseapilot2025