Serving under difficult captain

[Unregistered]

Evening Team

I am currently on the last month of my last trip as cadet. The previous captain signed off a week ago and the new ones methods i find a little "unorthodox".

A custom i have found myself receiving is lack of food due to the captain, in his infite wisdom, chucking said meal in the bin due to me being "late for lunch". As i am on the 8-12 watch and thus normally down for lunch around 1205 (lunch starts at 12) i find it difficult to come to terms with this management startegy. The first time was a surprise but i thought i may loose some weight and become more "buff", this unfortunatly has not happened and i am just left hungry.

This happens to both me and the other cadet i am sailing with. Also present is language which may constitute as verbal bullying. I am wondering if anyone has sailed with a captain like this before and how they dealt with it, having only sailed with very pleasant masters in the past i find myself rather inexperienced in this field.

My fellow cadet is thinking of writing to the company about the masters behaviour, im not sure myself due to it being my last trip and thinking i should just "bite the bullet"

All onboard are treated equally badly (i respect the lack of descrimination) and have spoke to the officers who have served with him before about how they deal with him, they have responded stuff along the lines of "he is captain", although i do appreciate the fillipino resolve i dont think anyone in any position should be allowed the behave in such a manner.

All comments welcome

Thanks in advance.

[CharlieDelta]

Small note to OP: Hope you don't mind me changing the thread title, just makes it a bit more obvious what the thread's about.

[GuinnessMan]

Evening Team

I am currently on the last month of my last trip as cadet. The previous captain signed off a week ago and the new ones methods i find a little "unorthodox".

A custom i have found myself receiving is lack of food due to the captain, in his infite wisdom, chucking said meal in the bin due to me being "late for lunch". As i am on the 8-12 watch and thus normally down for lunch around 1205 (lunch starts at 12) i find it difficult to come to terms with this management startegy. The first time was a surprise but i thought i may loose some weight and become more "buff", this unfortunatly has not happened and i am just left hungry.

This happens to both me and the other cadet i am sailing with. Also present is language which may constitute as verbal bullying. I am wondering if anyone has sailed with a captain like this before and how they dealt with it, having only sailed with very pleasant masters in the past i find myself rather inexperienced in this field.

My fellow cadet is thinking of writing to the company about the masters behaviour, im not sure myself due to it being my last trip and thinking i should just "bite the bullet"

All onboard are treated equally badly (i respect the lack of descrimination) and have spoke to the officers who have served with him before about how they deal with him, they have responded stuff along the lines of "he is captain", although i do appreciate the fillipino resolve i dont think anyone in any position should be allowed the behave in such a manner.

All comments welcome

Thanks in advance.

To be quite frank with you, the sort of management style is ****ing outrageous and that sort of behavior is just not f*cking on. Whether you are late for lunch or not, he shouldn't be throwing your meals in the bin like that at all nor should he wander around verbally bullying you.

However, there is recourse. Thanks to the passing of MLC 2006, you should have a documented crew complaints procedure and access to a shore based welfare facility (i.e. someone you can call). Have a look through your SMS and make use of it, but do make sure you have evidence of what the f*ckwit is actually doing (pictures, recordings, etc). Have a look within your SMS and see if there is a whistleblowing policy or crew reporting details and use them if you feel his behavior is out of order (if what you've said is true, then it is most certainly is). Make sure you let your TO and crewing folks know what is going on though.

If no one tells the crewing or other shoreside folks, then bullying arseholes like this hang about like a bad smell....

[Pilot Chris]

I can't believe this sort of stuff still goes on, my first Captain said he never wanted to see me and the other cadet for the whole trip blah blah, we had to leave the bar if he came down etc so I fully understand what you are going through.

Fully agree with GM, send a email shoreside saying you are going hungry and worried your health is being affected getting as much evidence and support of others onboard.

If no one sorts this out these people will continue to be [email protected]@ holes.

[YoungMariner]

Formal complaint to the company, do not exaggerate or give opinions, stick to the facts. From what you've said, they will have to sit up and listen. I suspect that talking to this Captain won't solve anything.

[Unregistered]

If that was me I'd be straight up to the captain's cabin resolving the issue. If no one stands up, he will continue doing it.

A similar thing happened to me from a Latvian C/O and O/S who hated British people. They tried to make me work 30 hours straight, wasn't going to happen with me though.

In situations like this though you won't have the crew backing you up, as not many people will stand up for themselves because of fear.

Either resolve it with him or report him to the company.

[Unregistered]

Many thanks for the help guys. Some really good points here.

[Polaris]

I could jump to conclusions and assume I know which company you are with and the name of this captain as I've heard the exact same story before but I won't mention names.

PM me if you want to talk about it.

[ralphie2449]

Ok i understand that you are trying to be nice and professional but your captain's behavior is negative, doesnt help anyone and only exist because of his psychological issues.
Tbh such people should never even enter the maritime business unless they pass extensive psychological tests, especially in undeveloped countries like Greece where they pretty much make officers stay on ships for almost a year and then give them a mere 3 month break, then you see them become verbally abusive, angry, anxious, demand everyone to suck up to them and have an incredibly bossy attitude which helps none, only causes more stress to the crew which overall reduces the efficiency of the entire crew
Of course not speaking for everyone but quite a few old aged captains i ve seen here are like that sadly and thus why i dont intend to stay in this place for long.

I had to deal with a lesser version of this, shouting at me about random things that might not even be related to me and then the next day be nice to me simply because his silly football team won. Shouting at me because i was relaxed and was watching a movie with the Filipinos(in my off duty hours) which probably has something to do with his inability to relax.
He was on a bulk carrier that carries coal, doesnt even bother to lie about the weekly davit test in the bridge log book and travels to the land of bribing aka India. That probably shows that it isnt a stress issue from your current problems, but more of a general stress issue due to not being able to cope in a job that requires you stay away from home for a long time.

Formal complaint to the company, do not exaggerate or give opinions, stick to the facts. From what you've said, they will have to sit up and listen. I suspect that talking to this Captain won't solve anything.

Well it depends on the company really, if it is a big reputable company they might do something.
If it is a small company who pretty much are "friends" with all the officers because they hire the same officers, i doubt they are going to help you and not just cause you more problems in the future.

If that is the case i guess the only thing you can do is try to survive through it :\
just be professional, punctual and do your job. Arguing with such people is a waste of time so the best thing you can do is ignore him, as long as that doesnt make him rage even more.



how i feel about such captains

[YaBute]

"undeveloped countries like Greece".
Seriously?

[Inland Pirate]

"undeveloped countries like Greece".
Seriously?

I was pondering that too...

Me thinks they mean "undeveloped countries" in terms of the rigorousness of their labour and welfare laws? (Not as as strict as UK, for example)

Though if they mean in terms of third world, I think he needs to get off the boat more in port!

[GuinnessMan]

I was pondering that too...

Me thinks they mean "undeveloped countries" in terms of the rigorousness of their labour and welfare laws? (Not as as strict as UK, for example)

Though if they mean in terms of third world, I think he needs to get off the boat more in port!

You'd be surprised. Some of the southern European nations do have their moments....

[ralphie2449]

"undeveloped countries like Greece".
Seriously?

well sorry, that sounded wrong, i mostly meant as psychology undeveloped but now that i think of it i ll have to also add technologically undeveloped and if i think hard enough im pretty sure i ll find more things

People still call psychologists mad doctors, have 0 knowledge of psychology and psych 101 classes are barely in any colleges.
And people think way too much like 1900something: "toughen up", "ignore what you feel" and other psychologically unhealthy ideas.
Not even gonna bother writing much about racism and other similar negative stuff here.
There is so much blaming and rationalizations around here, taking responsibility seems hard for many people...
Some big foreign TV series might even promote psychology or healthy behaviors vs 1900something behaviors but there is no such thing in Greece.

of course not talking for every single person here but a big number of people :\

I am not idealizing the rest of the world, i know such issues exist there as well, but things seem to be worse here in that department at least

Though if they mean in terms of third world, I think he needs to get off the boat more in port!

Oh no, please dont remind me the Indian ports for coal bulk carriers O_O (and i dont even want to imagine Bangladesh or other countries)
But well, i ve also lived in US south California for some time and seen the good things too
excuse me for not liking the middle ground now
Only good thing about Greece is the food imo, and well, not being watched by cameras everywhere

[Silvertop]

I must agree with previous posts and say that you have to follow your SMS procedure. Get other people on side if they have received the same treatment. It might be that your complaint has to go through this Captain to get to the office so make sure you have you training officer or maybe the chief engineer with you when you present it to make sure it is not shoved under the desk!! You need to be strong and know that your complaint will be heard, it might not be pleasant for you on board, but bear with it, we have all had bad times, but it's the good times that make us return to sea year after year. We all support you is spirit and hope you trip ends soon and get some good leave!!