Highlighting Seafarers: Insights from Propeller Club Geneva’s Day of the Seafarer Event

🚢Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of the MV Vinalines Queen.

🛳️ And what about the Costa Concordia cruise liner?

At last night’s sunset cruise held by the Propeller Club – Geneva to commemorate the Day of the Seafarer, Captain Harpreet Singh asked these very questions.

In response to the first nobody moved, and to the second, everyone’s hands shot up.

So, why does everybody know what happened to the Costa Concordia, but nobody has heard of the MV Vinalines Queen? This encapsulates the plight of seafarers all over the world.

You may have been wondering what happened to these two vessels in 2010/11. Well, it’s less about what happened, and more about how it was reported…

🌊 The MV Vinalines Queen went missing, and with it, 22 seafarers who all died. This tragedy was quietly mentioned in a couple of industry publications.
🌊 Meanwhile, the Costa Concordia cruise liner sank, killing 32 people and dominating the headlines worldwide. 🌍

Seafarers are the backbone of everything we do, yet paradoxically, it is as if they do not exist. Their mental health, their personal safety and tragedies: blocked by regulations, underrepresented and unreported.

Working on the ocean is considered one of the most dangerous workplaces on the planet, with 1,000s of seafarers losing their lives each year.

Let’s unite in our efforts to support and recognise these essential workers – the forgotten heroes who support so many elements of our daily lives. 🤝❤️

A big thank you to The Mission to Seafarers for the work they do with crews across the globe, and to the Propeller Club – Geneva for helping to raise awareness. And thank you to Capt. Capt. Nicolas Bernard, AFNI, Patrick Bachofner, and Capt. Harpreet Singh for sharing their experience and expertise with us.

🏃‍♀️ If you’d like to participate in the Maritimemountainrace.org this September to support seafarers’ welfare, please reach out. Our Commercial Director, Martaxelle Erussard, is seeking two more teammates to form a team of three.