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The International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) has been highlighting the increasing mental health challenges and instances of abuse, bullying, harassment, discrimination, and violence faced by yacht crew compared to other maritime sectors. This concerning trend underscores the vital need for ISWAN’s YachtCrewHelp service.
Addressing the Need for Specialised Support
Launched in November 2020, YachtCrewHelp was created to provide specialised, accessible support for yacht crew. Building on ISWAN’s experience with SeafarerHelp, the long-established maritime sector helpline, YachtCrewHelp offers free, confidential, multilingual assistance 24/7, 365 days a year. This service aims to support the emotional and practical well-being of yacht crew from any nationality.
Growing awareness
Awareness of YachtCrewHelp has been on the rise, with a significant increase in usage over the past few years. In 2023, the number of calls and messages (contacts) to the helpline rose by 34.3% compared to 2022 and 60.5% compared to 2021. Crew members from 46 different nationalities, as well as their families, reached out to the service in 2023.
Mental health & abuse on the rise
ISWAN’s 2023 Annual Review of YachtCrewHelp reveals that yacht crew are more likely to contact the helpline about mental health issues or experiences of abuse, bullying, harassment, discrimination, and violence (ABHDV) than their counterparts in other maritime industries. Notably, 7.3% of all issues raised by YachtCrewHelp contacts in 2023 were related to ABHDV, more than double the 3.1% reported to SeafarerHelp. Women were particularly affected, with 14.2% of issues raised by female crew members involving ABHDV, compared to 2.7% among men.
Tim Clarke, Director at Quay Crew, stated:
“Bullying and harassment is certainly increasing, as revealed in our own survey, which reported a 10% increase since 2022. Compared to ISWAN data, we found it far more prevalent than in just 7.3% of cases – stated by almost a quarter of crew as contributing to their poor mental health onboard. In our survey, this impacted twice as many female crew, and over a third of interior crew. It’s great to see that crew are feeling more confident to pick up the phone and use helpline services such as those provided by ISWAN. It demonstrates an increased awareness and reduced stigma around talking openly about issues and seeking help.”
Mental health challenges
Another significant trend highlighted in the review is the 13.5% year-on-year increase in contacts related to mental health issues. YachtCrewHelp saw nearly four times as many mental health-related issues (15.3%) compared to SeafarerHelp (4.0%). ISWAN’s data consistently shows that experiencing ABHDV is a major factor in mental health difficulties among seafarers.
Lack of support structures
ISWAN suggests several factors contribute to the higher incidence of reported issues among yacht crew, including a relative lack of HR structures, support services, and union coverage compared to merchant shipping.
Job-seeking challenges
The 2023 Annual Review also noted a 116.7% year-on-year increase in contacts from those seeking employment in yachting. This was the most common reason for contacting YachtCrewHelp in 2023, highlighting the difficulties, especially for green crew, in finding secure employment. ISWAN has partnered with other industry stakeholders to develop guidance on safe job-seeking for both paid and voluntary roles.
Read more about ISWAN’s work: ISWAN In 2024. Helping Crew Everywhere With Initiatives, Helplines & Campaigns!
The Need For Continued Support
Georgia Allen, ISWAN’s Projects and Relationships Manager, emphasised:
“Through YachtCrewHelp, we have the opportunity to hear directly from crew about the challenges they are facing on a daily basis. As well as providing support to crew members on an individual level, we are able to share data and insights on the wider issues which need to be tackled by the yachting industry as a whole. However, the heart of our service lies with the one-to-one support our helpline officers can offer to yacht crew and their families… We cannot be there for these individuals without vital funding and support from the industry.”
What The Team Say
Sarah Bayard, Lead Crew Operations USA at Y.CO, a key sponsor of ISWAN’s Welfare of Yacht Crew project, noted:
“Our experience in yacht management tells us that crew are the most important component of a yacht operation. A happy, healthy crew is a safe and effective crew, and we do all we can to promote positive onboard culture throughout our fleet. We are so proud to have supported YachtCrewHelp since its launch in 2021 and it is heartening to see the difference it has made so far. We encourage our industry colleagues to join us to ensure that this vital, free resource remains available to our most valuable assets, the crew.”
Will Faimatea, Founder and Director of Bond Technology Management, and a member of the YachtCrewHelp steering group, added:
“I am pleased to be able to be part of YachtCrewHelp and helping it become a place where yacht crew can seek support in times of need. This service was not something that was available nor spoken about in my years as crew on a superyacht. I have seen through the analytics provided by ISWAN that the service is not only needed, but used by crew. I would like to encourage all company owners working within the yacht industry to support YachtCrewHelp with financial contributions to allow this service to support the crew within it.”
Help Is More Important Than Ever
The YachtCrewHelp 2023 Annual Review underscores the importance of providing specialised support for yacht crew.
With increasing reports of mental health issues and ABHDV, the need for services like YachtCrewHelp is more critical than ever. The continued support and funding from the industry are essential to ensure that this vital resource remains available to those who need it most.
You can download the YachtCrewHelp 2023 Annual Review here.
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