Maritime disasters have been a tragic reality throughout history. In 2022, the world witnessed several devastating incidents on the seas and rivers, resulting in a significant loss of lives and damage to property. Most of these accidents are a result of negligence and...
Life Lessons Articles
46-Year Old FPSO Explodes with 10 Crew On Board
Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel Trinity Spirit exploded and sunk off the coast of Ukpokiti Terminal, around Excravos, Warri South-west, Delta State, Nigeria on Wednesday (Feb. 2, 2022) early morning. It is unknown how much she is carrying but...
New Year On Board or At Home? Which One is Better?
New Year holds a special place in our heart. The holiday season brings everyone much closer as relatives and friends gather near to celebrate the coming of a new era. Seafarers aren’t different. We are normal people too and we enjoy family gatherings. It’s the most...
Vetting Inspection Day and Our Swimming Pool is on Fire, Literally!
When I tell this story to my friends, I always receive the same reaction. Imagine having your own swimming pool burning in flames! You wouldn’t believe it yet you’ll laugh it off too knowing that this happenstance sounds too stupid for real. This is not a joke, by the...
Best Watched At Sea: 60 Shooting Stars an Hour Perseid Meteor Shower
Meteor showers are one of the most fascinating objects to see on the night sky. These swift, beautiful, fiery fireballs are often difficult to encounter unless one has the patience to see them. I feel you. Just one distraction could cost a lifetime of remorse. It’s a...
Seafarers- Heroes in Need of Saving Part 1
Much have change since I started out my sailing career way back September 2009. A few months more and I’ll be 10 years in this industry. Yet a few years longer and I’ll leave this pelagic life to the next generation of young, ambitious seadogs. Seafaring is not my...
Ten Best Traditional Sailor Tattoo Designs and Their Meaning
Long before the age of paper certificates, a sailor tattoo served as their proficiency and competency documents (COP and COC in the modern era). While ours are printed on paper, theirs, on the other hand, are marks of a lifetime. Traditional seamen look at their...
How I Availed FREE UNLIMITED Roaming Internet to 71 Countries Worldwide
Free roaming internet is something close to fantasy nowadays. It’s quite unbelievable if telecommunication networks provide you with this privilege. If such thing exists, it would be very useful for seamen. And its a discovery worth sharing for. We all know that...
A Seawoman Shares Her Dream of Becoming a Captain
Last February 2018, Seaman Memories had an exclusive online interview with Miss Hiroka. She is the first female Deck Officer in a Japanese Chemical Tanker ship. She told us how she conquered her profession which is dominated by men since the beginning of time. Like...
What to Do If You Fail the Pre-employment Medical Exam
On my previous post, I shared my personal account regarding the results of my Pre-employment Medical Exam (PEME). Linking similar outcome to other seafarers prove that there is something fishy going on within some of our medical clinics. My story is only a...
False Myths About Seafarers That People Actually Believe
There are false myths about seafarers that make them popular these days. Many people, especially the young ones, are attracted to this career. They perceive seafarers as wealthy, uncomplicated, cool and leading an easy-going life. This is one of the wrong belief they...
Day of the Seafarer – A Tribute to All Seafarers Worldwide
Today is the Day of the Seafarer. It’s the day for all Seamen, Seafarers, Mariners, Sailors, Navigators and Sea Dogs. We are called with different names by different people. We travel and move the world to go forward. There are no such things as too dangerous, too...
10 Things I Learned as a Seaman (That I’ll Never Learn Anywhere Else)
1. The Captain is Always Right. “The Captain is always right. When the Captain is wrong, verify the first rule.” Every seaman who had sailed for many years know this old proverb. Moreover, he had probably experienced something unpleasant when he told head on that,...
The Cost of BECOMING a Seaman
For the uninitiated person, becoming a seaman looks deceptively easy. Thousands of new graduates flood the seafaring industry every year hoping to fulfill their dreams of seeing the world for free while getting paid in hundreds or thousands of dollars. These new...
Message from a Summa Cum Laude Graduate of BS Marine Transportation
We can be the best if we will give our best. I had the worst initial episodes of my life when my family had broken up when I was a child. It’s a misfortune but it had driven me to reciprocate my father's mistakes. At young age, I've seen and experienced how hard it is...
Ang Kwento ng Buhay ni Dudong Seaman
Everybody gets a chance to meet the sea during their lifetime. Oo, lahat ay may pagkakataong makapunta sa dagat, be it as someone who waddles in the beach for a vacation, isang pasahero ng barko, manlalakbay, sayantipiko, mangingisda at marino. But the person who...
Prayer Before an Exam
Every exam is an opportunity for us to measure the learning that we gained through a span of time in our work and career. It doesn’t have to be fully theoretical like what the academics teaches us but the empirical and practical side is as important as ever. But...
Prohibited Items Not Allowed in the Airport When Signing on or Off
Natapos mo na lahat ng trainings mo. Nakapagbakasyon ka sa Puerto Princesa kasama ang buong pamilya. Nakadalo kapa sa graduation ng iyong anak at nakabili ng bagong sasakyan. Ngayon kelangan mo nang bumalik sa barko upang magtrabaho at kumita ulit. O di naman kaya,...
The Life Story of a Japanese Seawoman and How She Built Her Career in the Seafaring Industry
Hello. Please call me Hiro. I am the first Japanese Seawoman sailing as a Third Officer on a chemical tanker ship. In Japan, there are only very few women having a career on board especially on tankers because some companies prohibit hiring females on this male...
Sampung Reklamo ng mga Marino
Kung may Sampung Utos, meron ding Sampung Reklamo ang mga Marino. Hindi kompleto ang pagbabarko mo kung wala kang maririnig na reklamo habang binubuo ang iyong kontrata. Mula sa pinakabata hanggang sa mga hindi na gaanong bata, samo’t-saring mga hinaing ang iyong...
How to Make the Most of Your Hard-Earned Dollars Today
Working on board is not easy. That's why I alwayspay attention on how to spend my hard-earned dollars. This includes watching out for exchange rate opportunities. About three months ago, the exchange rate for dollar to peso was about 49.XX for every dollar. This is...
The Debt Particle Part 2: To Lend or Not to Lend Money?
There are two types of debtors. One who pays and one who disappears. It would be troublesome to chase after those who keep on hiding especially if they owe you a huge sum. What’s worse is that others get angry if you push them for payment. When a responsible client...
Day of the Seafarers 2017: Seafarers Matter and What it Means for You
June 25th marks the Day of the Seafarers, a day to honor and appreciate the invaluable contributions of seafarers to global trade and the economy. Seafarers are the backbone of the shipping industry. They transport goods and commodities across the world's oceans,...
5 Effective Tips on How to Save Money During Your Vacation
“Many bricks make a castle. Small leaks sink ships.” There is truth to the proverbs above. Most major events in our life happen as a result of small, insignificant- looking choices that we do everyday. Bricks, no matter how small, are the building blocks of a huge...
P50 Savings Challenge: How a Filipina Made P40,000 in 5 Months
A young Filipina saved P42,300.00 in just five months by making every P50 that she receives “invisible”. “Yehey!!!! daming 50's diba? dagdag savings. malayo mararating mo kapag nag decide ka disiplinahin sarili mo lalo na sa savings.” To inspire other people in saving...
A Poem About Safety and Regrets Dedicated to Seafarers
Safety on board our vessel is paramount. Each of us is responsible for our own safety and our crewmates as well. When bad things happen on board, our resources are limited and the person could suffer a lot. We conduct drills and exercises with external parties to...