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MARINERS DEPEND ON SCI &

SCI DEPENDS ON YOU...

IN THIS ISSUE – November 2024

• River Bell Awards Dinner - December 5, 2024
• One Year of Injustice: Remembering the Galaxy Leader Crew’s Ongoing Detention
• Christmas Service & Celebration at the International Seafarers' Center
• Seamen’s Church Institute Promotes Kelly Butts to Assistant Director of CME Paducah
• Sabine Pilots Reinforce Skills at CME's Advanced Radar Course
• SCI Chaplain Associate Winston Rice Christens Golding Barge Line’s M/V Whit Golding in Vicksburg
• The Christening of the M/V ACBL Mariner
• "Compassion Fatigue," by Chaplain Michelle McWilliams

Above: SCI Chaplain, the Rev. Geoff Davis (left) speaking with mariners in Channelview, TX. October, 2024.

Thank You To Our Corporate Sponsors

Looking Forward to Seeing You Soon!

Join us for our 24^th Annual River Bell Awards Luncheon on Thursday, December 5, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Paducah-McCracken County Convention & Expo Center in Paducah, KY.

Congratulations to Our 2024 River Bell Awards Honorees

River Bell Award

Bob Blocker

American Commercial Barge Line

River Legend Award

Charles A. Haun Jr.

Parker Towing Company, Inc.

Distinguished Service Award

Matt Woodruff

Kirby Corporation

Lifesaving Award

The Crew of the

M/V Capt. Rodney Adams

Blessey Marine Services, Inc.

The Crew of the

M/V Hallie M. Merrick

Canal Barge Company

For questions, please reach out to our team at RiverBell@Seamenschurch.org.

One Year of Injustice: Remembering the Galaxy Leader Crew’s Ongoing Detention

by Phil Schifflin

Director, Center for Mariner Advocacy

November 19 marks the one-year anniversary of the Galaxy Leader crew’s detention by the Houthis in Yemen. These 25 seafarers—17 Filipinos, two Bulgarians, three Ukrainians, two Mexicans, and one Romanian—were simply carrying out their duty, transporting critical cargo across the seas to support the global economy, when they were unjustly seized. To this date, they remain held against their will with no allegations of wrongdoing. Additionally, these men are now being used as political leverage in a conflict in which they have no involvement.

Over this past year, they have likely missed birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, births, and other significant life moments. Mariners often sacrifice such personal milestones in their line of work, but they do so with the expectation of an eventual reunion with family and friends at home. For these seafarers, those sacrifices have been magnified without reason, as now a full year has passed without any assurance of their release.

The Seamen’s Church Institute’s Center for Mariner Advocacy, along with a coalition of international organizations, shipping companies, NGOs, and concerned nations, has relentlessly advocated for their freedom. Despite these efforts, there has been no success to date. On this unfortunate anniversary, let us remember these seafarers and their families who are enduring an indefinite separation, not for any crime but simply because they were doing their jobs. SCI will remain committed to advocating for their release.

The International Seafarers’ Center (ISC) in Port Newark, NJ, will hold its first annual Christmas Service and Celebration on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. Led by SCI Chaplains the Rev. James Kollin, and the Rev. Dr. Bill Allport, the service will feature Christmas carols and be followed by a festive luncheon. ISC Director Matt Morse will also offer tours of the center. This warm, inclusive event provides a non-denominational seasonal celebration where seafarers and the Port Newark community can come together in fellowship. We look forward to welcoming our guests as we offer this meaningful gathering at a time that can often feel challenging and isolating for many in the maritime community. 

The Seamen’s Church Institute Promotes Kelly Butts to Assistant Director of CME Paducah

The Seamen’s Church Institute is pleased to announce the promotion of Kelly Butts to Assistant Director of the Center for Maritime Education in Paducah. Originally from Columbus, GA, Kelly has been a vital member of the SCI team since November 1997, contributing over 27 years of dedicated service and maritime industry expertise.

A Rhodes College graduate with a political science degree and a history minor, Kelly worked in the Conventions and Meetings Department at AFLAC’s global headquarters before she arrived at SCI. Her experience, extensive knowledge, and involvement at CME Paducah make her exceptionally qualified for this position. She looks forward to stepping into her new role as Assistant Director and continuing her commitment to advancing SCI’s mission and supporting the maritime community.

Sabine Pilots Reinforce Skills at CME's Advanced Radar Course

In August, the Center for Maritime Education welcomed the Sabine Pilots Organization, Pilot Boat Operators, from Port Arthur, Texas. At CME, they engaged in an Advanced Radar course designed to update their radar proficiency through simulator exercises and classroom instruction. The course covered critical areas such as radar interpretation, collision avoidance, speed and course detection, plotting, and understanding true and relative vectors, all to enhance safety on the water. CME also customized the training to reflect the Sabine-Neches Waterway’s unique maritime environment—including factors like current direction, speed, and bathymetry—and situational awareness needed for the location.

In an email to the Center for Maritime Education Director, Capt. Stephen Polk, Sabine Pilots Boat Supervisor, Capt. Michael Haight wrote, “I heard lots of positive feedback from our pilot boat captains and witnessed them putting some of the subject matter to work the other day. I greatly appreciate you all putting the course together for us and running our guys through it.”

Capt. Haight’s note highlights an essential aspect of CME’s mission. While we take pride in training mariners, it’s even more fulfilling when we hear their new skills are being put to work on the water. For CME, safer operations mean safer mariners.

SCI Chaplain Associate Winston Rice Christens Golding Barge Line’s M/V Whit Golding in Vicksburg

One of our greatest joys is offering blessings and well-wishes at boat christenings. In late October, Vicksburg, MS, SCI Chaplain Associate the Rev. Winston Rice had the honor of participating in the christening of the M/V Whit Golding, a powerful new addition to Golding Barge Line’s fleet, named after CEO Austin Golding’s eldest son. You can read the full story of this special event in the Waterways Journal.

Above, left: Golding Barge Line CEO Austin Golding with his oldest son and the new boat's namesake, Whit Golding. Above, right: SCI Chaplain Associate, the Rev. Winston Rice, with M/V Whit Golding Captain, Ronald "Jones" Jones.

The Christening of the M/V ACBL Mariner

SCI was honored to participate in the christening of ACBL’s newest, most powerful vessel, the M/V ACBL Mariner, during the International Workboat Show in New Orleans last week. Executive Director Mark Nestlehutt and Chaplain Geoffrey Davis offered prayers and blessings and presented the crew with a Bible and a U.S. Merchant Marine flag during the ceremony.

Watch the Event Video.

Compassion Fatigue

by Michelle McWilliams

Chaplain, International Seafarers' Center

from the October Quarterly Activity Report

During my visits to ships, I always ask seafarers about their well-being and life on board. Recently, one seafarer, Miles, shared, “My problems begin when I get off the ship.” Intrigued, I asked for more details. In his 50s, Miles revealed that his wife is bedridden in a nursing home while he works. Additionally, he bought a house last year, which has brought its own set of challenges such as necessary repairs and updates. He would soon sign off at the next port and return to this difficult reality.

Miles works for more than 90 days continuously, which sometimes offers him a respite from his on-land responsibilities. Unlike many seafarers, being away from home has some benefits for him beyond just the income. Drawing from my own experiences with caregiving, I observed how his contract offers him a form of self-care and self-preservation.

We discussed compassion fatigue and the detrimental impacts of caregiving. While his job provides some relief, Miles remains preoccupied with worries about home. The responsibility of meeting his wife’s needs places a heavy burden on him. We explored strategies to manage these feelings and the challenges of having others care for his wife, who may not always meet his expectations.

Caregiving extends beyond parenthood and can be challenging, whether for a parent, partner, or child. The guilt of feeling relief when apart from them is common. As I walked away from our conversation, I reflected on how much Miles valued speaking with someone who truly understood his struggles and listened to him.

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 FROM THE SCI ARCHIVES 

On November 14, 1851, Moby-Dick was published in America and received mixed reviews—quite different from the largely positive reception it had in Britain. The book’s reputation soared after a 1926 reprint by Modern Library, and references to both Melville and Moby-Dick appear frequently in SCI’s archives and reports on contemporary whaling.

In the May 1956 edition of The Lookout, SCI featured an article with Cornelius Tavernier, SCI’s baker and former whaler, who shared his thoughts on whaling while testing out whalebone pie crimpers.



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