Caution: Spoiler.
Posted on 01/30/2025 4:46:57 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
More ships than ever are being abandoned around the world by their owners, according to the United Nations’ labor and maritime organizations, leaving thousands of workers stuck on board without pay or the means to travel home to their families.
Cases have doubled in the past three years, impacting more than 3,000 seafarers across some 230 ships in 2024, according to an Associated Press analysis of U.N. data. Last year’s figures could rise even further given the time that can elapse before vulnerable, frustrated workers reach out to report their plight.
By international guidelines, workers are considered abandoned if shipowners fail to pay two or more months of wages, provide basic supplies or otherwise stop communicating with the crew.
“The only leverage seafarers have sometimes is to stay on a vessel until they get paid,” said Helen Meldrum, a ship inspector with the International Transport Workers’ Federation, which advocates for ship workers’ rights.
A sailor gives a tour of the deteriorating conditions on board the Sister 12, the cargo ship where he has worked for more than a year without pay. (ITF)
It’s a phenomenon rarely visible from shore, and one hitting hardest the smaller shipping companies servicing less profitable trade routes. Many crews reporting a lack of pay are on corroded ships built decades ago. The top countries for cases last year were the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
The worst cases have seen entire crews suffering weeks without adequate food or fresh water, or living on dark ships without electricity. Some workers languish on board for years, such as Abdul Nasser Saleh, whom the Associated Press profiled last year in a story exploring abandonment in U.S. ports and abroad.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
I wonder why they don’t think of that?
They must not be nearly as smart as you.
30 days of food? No way that much.
This is insane! How can they get away with this?
Clearly…
But I guess that’s just the way things Arrrrrrrr….
WIKI
The opening event in Lord Jim has been speculated by historians to have been based in part on an actual abandonment of a ship. On 17 July 1880, the British merchantman SS Jeddah set sail from Singapore bound for Penang and Jeddah, with 778 men, 147 women, and 67 children on board. The passengers were Muslims from the Malay states and were travelling to Mecca for the hajj (holy pilgrimage). After rough weather conditions, the Jeddah began taking on water. The hull sprang a large leak, the water rose rapidly, and the captain and officers abandoned the heavily listing ship. They were picked up by another vessel and taken to Aden, where they claimed that the passengers had attacked two engineers and the ship had foundered in poor weather. The pilgrims were abandoned by the crew. However, on 8 August 1880, a French steamship towed Jeddah into Aden and the pilgrims on board survived the incident. An official inquiry followed, as in the novel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Jim
Ran out of gas?
Caution: Spoiler.
While back, I looked up the ship my wife and I cruised on during our honeymoon back in 1991 and it fell into severe disrepair a couple years later to the point where they loaded port a potties on board for cabins whose plumbing didn’t work & they neglected to tell the passengers. The a/c system had broken so the crew told the passengers once the ship got underway, the a/c would work due to the breeze. The ship had gotten to a port somewhere in South America and the bank took control of the ship. The passengers and crew had to find their way home. If I can recall the ship, I’ll post a link to the story.
30 days of food? You’re generous. 10 days.
Other wise I applaud your idea.
Not if they contain asbestos.
Devils on the Deep Blue Sea, one of our favourite books says that the cruise line was spectacular at staying operating in its final days, When the toilets broke on Regent Sun, were most lines would have cancelled the cruise, Regency just provided several portable toilets, which were loaded onto the aft deck. Also when the air-conditioning system failed on the same ship, it was not repaired just lied about. Embarking Passengers who questioned about the heat were advised it was due to the holds in the vessel being opened during changeover day an that once the vessel was underway the vessel would cool down as the air-conditioning would kick in, of course not being true, it didn’t work, but what where they going to do, jump overboard?
https://cruiseoctopus.com/2011/07/15/the-rise-and-fall-of-regency-cruises/
So this is how Ragnar got his start in the pirate business !
TM
If you get off the ship before the authorities show up “I don’t know” was the captain and “wasn’t me” was the co-captian.
The top countries for cases last year were the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia
—
Muslim countries where slavery is acceptable and workers expendable.
airdrop is quicker & cheaper.
They are not permitted to land d. Other countries have very specific rules about stepping a foot in their country.
What a disgusting world.
After WW II we quickly got millions of our troops home across two oceans using ships in Operation Magic Carpet. This would do it the same way except the ships would not make a round trip.
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