Spare Time at Sea
British Trader : the onboard gym
15 August 2009
Written by Captain John Dunne, onboard British Trader
“Spare time at Sea” is not just the title of a book by former Marine Society director Dr Ronald Hope – what do people at sea actually do in their time off, when the ship is away from land and you have no chance to leave it for a few hours?
1. Health and Fitness
People at sea are very health-conscious, not least because you have to have a statutory medical fitness certificate before you can be employed at sea. Such a certificate can only be only issued after undergoing a full periodic medical under strict UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency guidelines. Thus, exercise is important, not just for fitness but also for maintaining a healthy weight.
Ashore, people can go for a long walk or a run; but at sea, the weather and the operations on deck may limit the amount of exercise you can take outside. It might be far too hot, far too cold, too windy, too rough, or there simply might be too much going on out on deck.
BP ships are fitted with a mini-gymnasium or 'Fitness Suite'. There’s a standard set of equipment in each gym: a cross-trainer, at least one exercise bike or maybe two, a rowing machine, a weight machine, and a treadmill or running machine, along with some free weights. There are other smaller items too that may vary from ship to ship.
The gym is popular and is very well attended on nearly every ship. It's busiest time is between 5 and 6pm just after people have finished work.
The ship's well-stocked library
2. Library
Every BP ship is outfitted with a library. Books are supplied on loan by The Marine Society; books are also purchased separately by BP for permanent use on board; and people normally bring a handful of paperbacks with them when they join, so that over time quite a stock will build up.
A quick glance at the range of titles on board shows that the reading tastes of seafarers are wide-ranging indeed. Science fiction, adventure, thrillers, crime, humour, non-fiction of every hue and kind, biographies both weighty and featherlite; the obligatory sports titles; books on hobbies and pastimes; all are well represented in the ship’s collection.
Seafarers can be surprisingly well-read. But this should be no surprise; there’s a great tradition of men at sea taking up literary interests – think of Joseph Conrad for one.
Some seamen take this liking for books to a different level and can study for academic qualifications in their spare time. There are many people at sea working hard to gain a degree via the Open University, while others aim for A-levels or diplomas. These studies are promoted and supported by The Marine Society.
Ship's officers Television Room
3. Films and TV programmes
No TV signal because the ship is too far from land? Then how about a big collection of DVDs and videos on hand, for watching in the evenings?
Again there are subscription services available, paid for by BP, by means of which we receive sets of DVDs from time to time.
The titles are usually up-to-the-minute, all supplied under official license, and often well before the films may be available for rent on the high street. TV series are also supplied; no need to miss out on events on the little screen just because you’re at sea.
accessing the internet at sea
4. The Web
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him how to use the internet and he’ll never bother you again”.
So it is at sea on BP’s ships. We are in a relatively new period now where everyone on board can have access to the internet at all times no matter where the ship is in the world. Wireless internet connection is now the norm, and nearly everyone brings a laptop to sea with them.
This is a revolutionary development at sea. It means you are able to access and check your bank accounts, book your holidays, stay in touch with all your friends by e-mail, access FaceBook, Bebo, YouTube and the like, and keep fully up-to-date with news even as it breaks.
There is now no need to feel cut off from the world just because the land has gone below the horizon. We have a round-the-clock internet connection with all the convenience and potential that it implies.
So it should be clear to anyone contemplating a career at sea that there’s no chance of getting bored when you get time off from work on the ocean wave. If anything, you’re spoiled for choice!