There is no better way to spread the word than by telling a good story and if that means helping people better understand the role of the modern seafarer to the extent that it could possibly improve the way they lead their lives, then so much the better.

That was one of the takeaways from the latest in The Nautical Institute’s library of excellent industry webinars. Stories that have now been published in a book entitled ‘Ship and Shore, An Insider Explains the Maritime World’, by NI Fellow, Rev David Reid.

In this webinar David Patraiko, Master Mariner and Director of Projects at the NI, speaks with the Rev David and to Dr. Jason Zuidema, leader in global seafarers’ welfare missions, about why we need to tell the story of modern seafarers, and what impact that has on their lives.

The global supply chain became headline news in the last year. Though delays in shipping were on everyone’s mind, they didn’t necessarily translate into more support for those working on the ships. The pressure for speedy delivery coupled with the challenges of the pandemic made life on board distinctly harder. So often, our governments and wider communities failed to understand the essential work of seafarers, and by their blindness to maritime, made things worse.

“When the wider world doesn’t know what seafarers do and the sacrifices they make, and just why they are essential during this time of pandemic, it has a practical impact on their lives; on their ability to pass easily through airports, to get shore leave, to receive vaccinations, to have what is necessary for them to get home and to get back onboard ship. This has a practical impact on them when the world doesn’t understand that seafarers are important,” said Dr. Jason Zuidema.

David Reid told webinar attendees: “For me Sea Stories is all about how we get the message across. What these stories represent are the case studies, they are the examples, the very things that bring to life, the technical and professional subjects that The Nautical Institute cares so much about. And it is how you tell the story. It allows the listener to become immersed in the story. You take them there in the way you tell the story.”