A New Kind of Safety Training
There are certain things every yachtie learns to take seriously: fire, man overboard, heavy weather and tender operations for example. We do regular drills and training because when you're out at sea and if something goes wrong, help could be days away. Now, the MCA is asking us to recognise another kind of risk: what happens when the threat comes from another person.
From 1 January 2026, amendments to the STCW Code have included a new course: The Prevention and Response to Violence & Harassment course, which forms part of Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR).
It might sound like just another course to add to the growing list of certificates in your wallet. However, I think it represents another positive step forward for the yachting industry!
The IMO (International Maritime Organisation), working alongside the ILO (International Labour Organisation), has spent several years addressing violence and harassment in the maritime sector. The result is a recognition that bullying, harassment and sexual violence aren't simply personal disagreements. They can affect a person's health, wellbeing and ability to work safely and in a high-risk environment such as on board a yacht, that in turn, makes them a safety issue.
Yachting creates a particularly unusual working environment. You don't go home at the end of a difficult shift. You may work alongside the same people for months, live with them, eat with them and sometimes share a cabin with them. There can be significant differences in rank, experience and authority, while the vessel itself may be thousands of miles from home.
That can make speaking up difficult. It can also create a culture where behaviour gets normalised.
“He's always like that.”
“That's just how she speaks to people.”
“Don't kick up a fuss.”
“It's just banter.”
“Don't be so sensitive.”
We've probably all heard some version of these phrases onboard. The problem is that familiarity can make unacceptable behaviour seem acceptable. And when the person behaving badly is senior in the hierarchy, people can become even more reluctant to challenge them. This course gives seafarers a shared language to use when dealing with these issues.
When a new course gets added to the list of requirements, there is always going to be some scepticism. Is it necessary? Does it actually add value? Can an hour of training really change someone's mindset or fix discriminatory attitudes?
I'm not sure that it can. But it plants a seed. It opens a conversation and gives us a shared reference point for dealing with these issues.
One point from the course that I found particularly interesting is the difference between what we intend to say and how it is received. We naturally assume that people will understand the intention behind our words, but this isn't always the case. Being aware of that can prompt us to think a little more carefully about how we speak to the people around us.
Ultimately, a course won't fix a culture. Captains and HODs need to create environments where crew can raise concerns without being labelled as 'difficult'. That being said, it is on everyone's shoulders to ensure they are respecting others and contributing to a healthy onboard environment. Witnessing inappropriate behaviour shouldn't simply become something people learn to tolerate or turn a blind eye to.
A yacht can have every safety certificate in the world and still have an unsafe culture.
The introduction of this training won't eliminate bullying, harassment or abuse from yachting. But it does send an important message. Being professional isn't only about maintaining the paintwork, running a perfect charter or knowing your emergency procedures. It is also about how we treat the people we work alongside.
If you or someone you know is experiencing harassment of any kind onboard here is a list of organisations dedicated to supporting seafarers:
To help seafarers access support wherever they are in the world, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has launched an interactive world map.
This map shows reporting channels, national policies, and support systems by flag state with the aim of supporting seafarers in reporting and addressing harassment at sea.
Safer Waves is a charity that offers support and information to seafarers who have experienced sexual violence or gender discrimination while working at sea.
They provide specialised support to seafarers understanding the additional challenges of working at sea.
The All Aboard Alliance, a coalition of maritime companies and organisations has launched Unspoken, a global initiative that invites seafarers to anonymously share their experiences of sexual misconduct. Some anonymised stories are published to challenge silence and show the true scale of the issue.
Information about Unspoken:
Not a reporting or emergency service.
Not a whistleblowing platform.
No graphic content is published.
No names, companies, or identifying details are collected.
All stories are reviewed, anonymised, and analysed collectively.
The International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) is a charity that offers free helpline services, educational resources, relief funds and humanitarian support for seafarers and their families.
