Becoming a Seaman step by step guide

The seaman’s life is a relentless “rat race”: 9 grueling months at sea, enduring isolation, storms, and 12-hour shifts, all to earn a meager 2-3 months ashore with family. Each contract resets the clock—sacrificing birthdays, milestones, and daily joys for distant wages. The cycle traps them: bills demand return voyages, fleeting reunions amplify guilt, and fatigue deepens with each departure. While families cling to video calls and care packages, seafarers trade youth for stability, their bodies aging faster than their paychecks. Even “vacation” is haunted by job searches or training for the next voyage. Yet pride persists—they are modern-day heroes, feeding nations and funding futures. But the cost? Missed childhoods, strained marriages, and a lifetime measured in contracts. The ocean grants no mercy; the rat race drowns dreams in its wake.