Family support
For partners, parents, and children of seafarers
A seafarer's contract does not only affect the person on board. The partner managing the household alone, the parent waiting for a call that can't always come, and the children navigating a parent's long absence — all of them live with the rhythms and uncertainties of a seafaring career. Long absences of four to nine months, communication that depends on satellite coverage, money that arrives on a schedule the family does not fully control, and emergencies that must be handled from the other side of the world: these are the practical realities of life at home in a seafaring family. This hub is for the people at home — not a guide for the seafarer, but a guide for those who keep things running while the seafarer is away. The pages here are factual and practical. They do not assume crisis — they prepare for uncertainty.
Family guidance pages
- Supporting a seafarer partner
What to expect during a first contract or deep-sea voyage — communication realities, time zones, and silent days that are normal, not worrying.
- Emergency contact plan — for families
Which numbers to keep, why a paper copy matters, P&I cover basics, and what to tell children about the plan.
- Money and remittance planning
Receiving allotments, FX timing, joint-account decisions, and what to do if a payment does not arrive.
- Children and long absences
Age-appropriate explanations, video-call rhythms, calendar countdowns, and what to say when the seafarer parent comes home.
- When communication stops
Normal causes of silence at sea, how long to wait before escalating, AIS ship-tracking, and who to call if concern grows.
- Injury or illness onboard
What TMAS does, the role of P&I cover, and your rights to information when a family member is ill at sea.
- Abandonment — support for families
What to do if your family member is abandoned at sea under MLC A2.5.2 — notifying ITF, preserving wage records, and the IMO/ILO database.
- Mental health warning signs
Recognising distress in a seafarer family member — what to look for, how to ask, and free 24/7 multilingual help.
- Relationship strain
Long-distance rhythms, intimacy at distance, return-home adjustment, and when to seek support.
- Scams targeting seafarer families
Fake emergencies, fraudulent fee demands, and identity-theft via leaked SEA documents — how to spot and verify.
- Documents families should keep
SEA copies, certificate scans, manning-agency details, P&I cover, and how to store them safely.