Story
Working on a superyacht can be a dream job but crew still face challenges like long hours, work-related stress and job insecurity.
These can all take a toll on a crew member's mental wellbeing. In ISWAN's 2018 report, The Welfare of Superyacht Crew, crew members said:
I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression from the stress of my last boat
There are quite a few people with psychological discomforts, for want of a better term, who could benefits from having professionals to talk to. But its not done very often, its not encouraged and its certainly not paid for
Crew welfare has not been taken seriously, as the mentality by the industry, owners and captains is, 'if you wont do it, we will find someone who will'
The survey found that:
80% of female respondents and 54% of male respondents reported suffering from one or more episode of work-related stress
82% of respondents experienced low crew morale sometimes, often or always
55% of female respondents found accessing mental health care to be an occasional or regular challenge (compared to 28% of men)
We want to make sure men and women working on superyachts can easily access the support available to them worldwide when life gets tough.
What can you do to help?
You can help us by donating to Yacht Crew Help, ISWAN's free, confidential, 24-hour helpline available to professional yacht crew worldwide. Our service includes an online toolkit of resources and guidance specifically for yacht crew at www.yachtcrewhelp.org.
Are you a company or organisation?
If you make a donation of £1,000 or more, your logo will feature on the Yacht Crew Help website.
Are you an individual?
We are grateful for any contribution to the running of our helpline, however small. You can help us provide hardworking crew with access to support when they need someone to talk to.
If you have any questions about Yacht Crew Help, you can e-mail Georgia Allen at georgia.allen@iswan.org.uk or visit the Yacht Crew Help website at www.yachtcrewhelp.org. To find out more about ISWAN and the work we do for seafarers worldwide, visit www.seafarerswelfare.org.