My name is not Captain Abhijith

I had just done one contract as a Master when I had to revalidate my license. A few among us were revalidating their license for the third time. There was one master who was revalidating it for the fourth time.

When we were given our certificates after completion of the course, one among us commented on our names not being prefixed with "Captain " ; And all but 2 among us were active sailing Masters. But the names below the two signatures on the certificate were prefixed so. And one among them had definitely not gone to sea for atleast a decade and more.

And then I heard another Master who I sailed under tell someone very categorically that his name be prefixed. Many among us may feel a hollow inside when someone calls us by our name.

I see names so prefixed even before names of those who may never have been in command.  I always wonder if it is correct to do so. Ethically. Technically. Or in any other way. Can someone help me here.

I always thought Captain was a rank i held while in command,but my name still remained what my parents gave me.

Am I getting it all wrong? Taking up a shore position may require me to attach the prefix. Will it be right to do so?

If I had been your Captain, and you happen to meet me while I am not in command, please remember my name is just Abhijith.

Internet onboard will make ships safer.

The pirates, not the johnny depp kind. Not the kind who made Capt. Flints crew. Not at all the romantic kind who made it to innumerable works of literature. But the kind who make news. Obscure news! News that few read. News of hijackings, ransoms, keel hauling, mock deaths, starvation, snipers and off late even rape.

And all these news , for the few who read will still have a romantic and fantastic feel to it. These pirates operate over an area that stretches wide between two continents. And this area also happens to be a busy shipping route. And they strike fear in sailors who are simply trying to earn their bread. And the fear in the minds of their dear ones will only be allayed when they return home.

These pirates have made ordinary seaman paranoid. Few companies who employ them have taken any confidence building measures to allay fears. But most have agreed to their masters keeping their ships close to the coasts of countries where there is an active naval presence. It may not be possible to specify an exact distance for ships of a particular size to keep. And so Masters use their discretion keeping their safety in mind. And now here security too.

Some of us fear that keeping close to the coast would mean having to negotiate the innumerable fishing boats. I love fish. I love the beaches near where I live. And I dread the day when the hull of a large ship carrying pollutants breaches when they are sailing close to the coast trying to stay safe from pirates. And what if a fishing boat is hit.

A news item in Mathrubhumi ( a  vernacular daily 20120713)talks of the fishermen getting increasingly worried about colliding with a merchant ship. They speak of seeing even more ships than they did.

In addition to safety and security, some of us have another consideration. This to me is a dangerous one - Mobile signal. This brings ships even closer to the coast. On most days you have smooth seas, clear visibility and no boats. But how long can one ride his luck. If all ships had easy and cheap communication, then no one would want to take the risk. Especially so when you have just seen your loved ones on Skype. And talked to your hearts content. Till all companies come up with communication solutions, you will always have among us those who want to chat and talk and update everytime we get close to a coast. And also try to get closer to coast than it may be safe.

If only  companies and the industry came up with shipboard communication solution that allows hassle free and cheap any time communications like the seafarer were on land, there is going to be decisions made which may not entirely based on considerations of safety.

Someday someone will realise the cost benefits of installing better communication systems onboard. The 20minutes of free phone calls and cheap WiFi access in some fleets make great sense to me. They were ahead of their time. It can't be long before everyone else follows the lead.

(Views here are entirely the authors. It doesn't reflect on anyones' decisions or actions)