Religious Services News

International maritime network Stella Maris has teamed up with tech start-up FrontM to develop a new crew collaboration and wellbeing platform and super-app designed to give seafarers and fishers across the world quick access to Stella Maris's global chaplaincy directory, media content and faith resources.Stella Maris, formerly known as Apostleship of the Sea, is a ship-visiting network with more than 1,000 chaplains and volunteers in 330 ports across 60 countries. Its team makes 70…

Seafarers’ charity the Apostleship of the Sea has welcomed the 2013 launch of National Ferry Fortnight and the focus it gives to the hard work of ferry crews. Each year, the Passenger Shipping Association promotes a National Ferry Fortnight. This year’s two-week event will take place from  March 2-16. The fortnight is designed to improve awareness of the UK’s 50 ferry routes. In ports around Great Britain, and around the world, the port chaplains of the Apostleship of the Sea visit ferry crews, to support the crew when needed and to lend a friendly face and a listening ear, providing practical and spiritual support for each and every crew member. Ferry crews and staff are one of the critical success factors for a safe and smooth voyage.

Following the accident of the Bourbon Dolphin Shetland Islands, claiming 8 lives, the ship sunk and is lying at 3,600 feet. SMIT Salvage started the salvage operations on April 15th after a complete survey of the situation. The Salvage Team was composed of 2 tugs with crew and material, 4 specialized divers and one Salvage Master in charge of the operations. The ship was first disconnected from the rig, and as the weather conditions became bad (25 knot south-westerly wind and 4 meter high waves), it became destabilized and then sunk before towage was possible. For the time being, most of the SMIT Salvage teams have left the zone, except for one tug that remains for the moment on the zone to monitor the current situation.