Marriage on the Rocks: The Hidden Cost of Life at Sea
The shipping industry can tell you how many ships it has, how many seafarers it needs, and how many containers it moves. However, what it still cannot tell you with confidence is how many marriages life at sea is costing.
Relationship Breakdowns and Mental Health Strain
A 2014 survey by the Nautilus Federation found that nearly one in three seafarers had experienced a serious relationship breakdown directly linked to time away from home. Earlier UK Merchant Navy research indicated divorce rates 20–30% higher than the national average, while ongoing maritime labour studies consistently rank relationship instability among the top personal challenges faced by crew.
Research from Croatia, China, and across the tanker sector consistently identifies long separations, work-family conflict, loneliness, and difficult homecomings as recurring challenges. A 2021 multinational tanker study found almost half of married seafarers screened positive for general psychiatric disorders, while longer contracts increased the risk of depression.
Welfare Organisations Respond to the Trend
Welfare organisations are seeing the trend firsthand. ISWAN reports a sharp rise in calls linked to relationship difficulties, with family and relationship problems now among the most common personal issues raised through its support services.
- ISWAN’s Family Outreach Programme was created to help families better understand the realities of life at sea and improve communication between seafarers and loved ones.
- Sailors’ Society programme manager, Gavin Lim, notes that seafarers carry immense guilt for being away during milestones or emergencies, while spouses often hide problems to protect the seafarer’s mental state.
Technology has eased some pressures but introduced others. According to ISWAN, 98% of seafarers use smartphones during their leisure time, and 80% use rest hours to communicate with family. Yet greater connectivity can also mean seafarers become entangled in domestic problems they are powerless to resolve from thousands of miles away.
A Call to Action
Steven Jones, founder of the Seafarers Happiness Index, notes that relationship breakdown remains one of shipping’s least-discussed welfare issues. The industry must acknowledge the hidden cost of life at sea and work to support seafarers and their families in maintaining healthy relationships and mitigating the risks of mental health strain and relationship breakdown.