TYST: About Us

Bethany (21) “The voyage has been the highlight of my year by far. I’ve had a lot of hardship recently and it’s been great to get away from it all. I come from a background where I thought I’d never have an opportunity like this. After the voyage I’m feeling a lot more confident about life in general and I feel much happier than I did at the start of the week.”

Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT) is a national youth development and outdoor learning charity that supports young people, particularly those facing disadvantage, to develop essential life skills and broaden their opportunities. Our vision is of a society where all young people strive to create better outcomes for themselves and for their communities.

We achieve this via our three-voyage programme of Exploration, Empowerment and Leadership. This innovative approach combines outdoor learning in an ocean environment, with personal and social development, and practical life skills through a series of increasingly longer and more challenging residential voyages. It has been specifically designed to support young people on their journey to adulthood, by equipping them with life and employability skills which will sustain them throughout their lives. Our programme offers clear pathways for progression, including engagement and work experience opportunities with relevant maritime organisations.

Our Why

The young people we support come from across the UK and are facing adversity in their daily lives. These challenges can stem from their personal situations, experiences, or unmet additional needs. Since Covid, people are more aware of the difficulties many face, as more young people struggle with their mental and physical health, neurodiversity, barriers to learning, as well as aspects of geographical, economic and social disadvantage.

Young people need chances to thrive, when they have this, it can be life changing. Without it, they can feel they are being defined only by their circumstances which can leave them feeling disaffected, socially isolated, with low self-esteem and a lack of aspirations. Being financially disadvantaged is a barrier to health and wellbeing and one of the main drivers of emotional challenges.    

Our work directly addresses these diverse challenges by extending support and fostering pathways for young people.

Our Impact

In 2023, utilising our fleet of four 72ft Challenger yachts, we were able to support more than 1,200 young people, 80% of whom were experiencing disadvantage, or are living with disabilities; 88% had also never sailed before; 40% were female; and 25% identified as belonging to the global majority.

The benefits of sailing with TSYT are proven and long-lasting. Our intention is for our young people who complete the three-voyage programme to emerge as future leaders, and mature and responsible contributors to society. For those who want it, our work can lead to a career in the maritime sector and blue economy. This is through our own internal pathways which offers our young people the opportunity to develop into paid voyage crew positions at TSYT.

Highlights from our 4-night Exploration voyages in 2023 include:

  • 93% reported improved confidence as a result of their voyage
  • 90% of young people said they had gained new skills that they can build into daily life. 
  • 80% said they felt more confident in asking for help. 
  • 83% of our young people last year gained a Royal Yachting Association certificate.

“The support offered from the TSYT staff towards our often-challenging young people has been phenomenal and the crew and young people have relished the challenge of every week. The ethos of ‘Sea Beyond your Horizon’ is certainly prevalent in every voyage with you and our school is often filled with chatter about the experiences that they have had. I would say for some, these weeks have been life changing.”
Gemma Hobson, Limes College – Pupil Referral Unit in Sutton, Surrey

How you can support

  • Sponsor a young person’s first Exploration voyage and pathway for £1020 or a whole group (12) voyage for £10,000.
  • Support our industry engagement pathway programme; help us facilitate access to career open days, training and internships for our young crews.
  • Book a corporate connection day sail and help fund a young person’s voyage place in the process as having a fantastic, tailored team building day on the water.
  • Volunteer your time as sailing staff, help maintain our boats or support our youth mentoring.

With your help we can support many more young people to develop the skills they need to thrive, and access maritime and blue economy career opportunities.  

Celebrating Success: Spinnaker’s 2024 Highlights

As 2024 draws to a close, we’re celebrating the incredible achievements of our team at Spinnaker. From professional milestones to personal triumphs, our staff have had an inspiring year—and they’re excited to share their highlights with you. Join us as we look back on a year filled with growth, success, and memorable moments!

Phil Parry, CEO

Taking the total raised for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity to over £3m.

When we started the OSCAR Campaign to raise funds from shipping to support a variety of projects, we set ourselves a target of half a million pounds.  That seemed a bit of a stretch at the time, but the total is now £3.45m of which £740,000 was raised during 2024.  That’s an amazing achievement, the credit for which belongs to the 30 teams who took part in the 2024 OSCAR Dragon Boat Race and in particular to Union Maritime and event sponsors Oldendorff Carriers.

Putting family first

The time comes when children become their parents’ carers.  For me, that time came in Autumn 2023 and was followed by 8 heartbreaking months watching my elderly father lose both his legs to diabetes and become entirely dependent upon me, my mother and my partner (her own father now having just had a stroke – at least we’ve had training!). The achievement? Prioritising Dad and putting in the time to make him feel loved and cared for. They say you only live once, but I recently heard this turned on its head – you only die once, but you live every day. We made sure we were there for Dad every day and I feel that we gave him the best last 8 months he could have had. I shall always be proud of that.

David Tubb, Director, Recruitment

Work Achievement – This year has been a record-breaking one for me, achieving my best-ever billings to date. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see hard work, dedication, and perseverance pay off in such a significant way.

Personal Achievement – I took the plunge and signed up for the London Marathon, a challenge I’ve always dreamed of taking on. Even better, I’ve stayed committed to my training schedule, and I’m feeling stronger and more motivated with every run.

Daryna Rozum, Reward Consultant

Work Achievement – This year I joined SEA and had my first year working on Seafarer Daily Wage Cost Survey alongside Sandra and Georgina. I also felt much more confident networking at the conference.

Personal Achievement – I knitted my first jumper in 2024 and haven’t stopped making garments ever since. I also started actually speaking Norwegian this year. And had my first hike ever!

Helen McCaughran, Marketing & Business Development Manager

From a work perspective, I am incredibly proud of the work I have done to evolve the annual Maritime People & Culture conference. This year we introduced the Gala Dinner and Maritime HR Awards giving delegates further opportunities to network and also showcase some of the amazing work they do in their HR departments.

From a personal perspective, I’m pleased to have stuck to my goals set at the beginning of the year for regular pilates and mindfulness sessions. Namaste!

Bethanie-Taylor Grenfell, Marketing & HRC Executive

Work Achievement – This year, I stepped into a marketing role, and I’m incredibly proud of how much my confidence has grown, particularly in reaching out and collaborating on marketing projects for Spinnaker. I’ve played a part in expanding our connections and contacts in this space, which has been so rewarding. A highlight for me was working alongside Phil and GOSH to help organise the OSCAR Dragon Boat Race. Being part of such an incredible, record-breaking, and meaningful event is something I’m truly proud of this year!

Personal Achievement – In 2024, six years of hard work, determination, and saving finally paid off—my partner and I bought our first home! We’ve been in for almost a month now, and having the opportunity to make it our own and complete all the work ourselves is something I’m so proud of us for achieving.

Clementine Matiwaza, Recruitment Resourcer

Work Achievement: This year, I’ve deepened my knowledge of the shipping market while building strong connections with an incredible network of clients and marine professionals. It’s been a rewarding journey of growth and learning in such a dynamic industry.

Personal Achievement: On a personal note, sometimes just staying alive, staying positive, and navigating the ups and downs of life is an achievement in itself—and I’m proud of that!

Spinnaker Christmas Traditions

As part of a December Series, the Spinnaker team have shared their cherished Christmas Traditions. From annual ornament picking, to matching PJ’s, to getting creative, to bringing a piece of home to the UK, we have it all here at Spinnaker.

Helen’s Cracking Christmas Creativity

“A Christmas tradition in my house, which started during Covid, is making our own Christmas crackers. My daughter helps me make these and writes the jokes for each cracker!

The crackers have in the past contained miniature spirits from Hotel Chocolat and some Green & Blacks chocolate. This year, I’ve found these funny bibs in Waitrose and I’ll pop in some mini Tony’s Chocolonely and maybe some local small soaps. The crackers are wrapped in some material offcuts, and I’ve got glitter name cutouts for every guest.”

Beth’s Wreath-ly Good Fun

“For over seven years now, my family and friends all get together for a wreath-making night. What started as a small get-together has now grown to 20 of us! Every year, we gather to craft wreaths from scratch, with Christmas music, plenty of treats, and a lot of festive chaos. It’s a night of creativity, laughter, and a whole lot of moss, and it’s become one of my favourite parts of the holiday season. We all leave with beautiful wreaths, full stomachs, and plenty of laughter to go around.”

David’s Decoration Delights

“Every year we buy a new hanging decoration for the Christmas tree. The kids choose one each, and me and my wife choose one too.

Our tree now becomes completely personalised with the hanging decorations being individuals chosen, some meaning something, some just because we like them.”

Daryna’s Shchedrivky and Sweet Traditions

“Christmas in Ukraine is celebrated a little differently than here in the West. The main difference is probably a fusion of pagan and Christian traditions. It is customary for children and young adults to dress up and go from door to door singing carols, reciting folk poems (“shchedrivky”), wishing hosts good harvest for the coming year. Usually they are accompanied by throwing grains around a host’s hallway which should remain scattered around the floor for some days.
Small performances are not uncommon. It’s sort of like trick-or-treating on Halloween. When I was little, my nan would take me round our neighbours and relatives to sing and wish merry Christmas. Kids normally receive something in return – sweet treats or money. For some of my classmates, it was a really profitable time of the year!

Christmas table is also a bit different. It’s customary to cook 12 dishes (but we never did that in my family as we wouldn’t be able to eat everything), the highlight being a dish called ‘kutia’ – one of the most essential ritual dishes at the Ukrainian Christmas Eve supper.

The main ingredients used to make traditional kutia are wheatberries, poppy seeds and honey. At times, walnuts, dried fruit and raisins are added as well. It’s very tasty! My nan would also make pastry with sweet poppyseed filling which I always looked forward to as a child (and still do and miss very much).”

Chloe’s Paws-itively Cozy Vibes!

“Our tradition of matching Christmas PJs started years ago but really took off in 2021 when we added a puppy and found sets for her too. Now every Christmas evening, we get cozy, sip wine, and last year even added matching socks—though the dogs opted out!”

Clementine’s Southern African Christmas

“In Southern Africa, Christmas transcends a mere holiday into a vibrant lifestyle that ignites passion long before December. As mid-November arrives, the jubilant cry of ‘Ke December’ echoes across communities, signalling a season where boundaries blur and joy knows no limits.

Embracing the summer heat, South African families transform Christmas into a sensory celebration. Braais sizzle under open skies, replacing traditional indoor gatherings with poolside and beachfront festivities. A spread of food bursts with diversity—succulent meats including goat, lamb, beef, and chicken dance alongside the legendary ‘7 colours’ plate, a mixture of flavours that represents the nation’s rich cultural tapestry. Malva pudding and flowing drinks complete the ‘Christmas’ experience.

Even whilst living in colder climates like the UK, where daylight retreats early and snow might replace sunshine, the Southern African spirit remains undiminished. Loved ones gather together in living rooms, kitchens, and gardens, sharing cooking duties, chopping vegetables, tending the braai, and playfully delegating dishwashing to the younger generation.

Each Southern African tribe and country adds its unique touch to this festive canvas. For Ndebele and Zulu communities, Christmas becomes a beautiful fusion of Christian reverence and ancestral traditions, a testament to the resilience and adaptability of Southern African culture.”

Adrian’s Flicker of Festivity

“When I was young (okay, a long, long time ago) back in the 70s, we always had a real Christmas tree at home.

My dad inherited from his German parents some candle holders (of varying lengths) that screwed into the trunk of the tree and in which you then mounted real (stick) candles. The trick was to make sure when the candles were lit on Christmas Eve that the tree didn’t catch fire and burn down (and the house with it).

Somehow, in spite of my dad usually having had several mince pies and many glasses of port (Rudolf only liked the carrot left on the fireplace hearth, I was told), he always managed to judge the positioning of the candle holders just right, and we never had an emergency.”

Phil’s Recipe for Christmas Cheer

“I always cook red cabbage about a week before Christmas and then force it upon anybody and everybody who I spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day with. And we watch Love Actually and – if I can persuade anyone to join me – The Polar Express!”

An end-of-year review in 500 words

As 2024 draws to an end we have taken a look back at the last 12 months and Spinnaker’s business achievements this year.

Teresa Peacock, MD of Spinnaker’s Executive Search division climbed up the rankings in All About Shipping’s list of Top 100 Women in Shipping to number 32! Teresa is an active member of WISTA UK and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women in Work! Well done Teresa!

In March we celebrated International Women’s Day and with a theme of ‘Inspire Inclusion’, we wanted to hear from HR professionals and what they were doing to ensure the recruitment, retention and development of female talent within their organisation and if the maritime industry was doing enough to support them.

In March, we also released the very first wage report for hotel staff working on board cruise ships. This report complements the data we currently produce for deck & engine roles on merchant ships and enables cruise companies to ensure they are paying their staff in line with the market. The new report covers activity & entertainment, food & beverage, and housekeeping roles.

April was a busy month. Spinnaker’s HR Consulting division published their findings from the Gender Pay Gap analysis, which saw that in 2023 the mean gender pay gap in the UK reported by members of Spinnaker’s Maritime HR Association was 38.25% compared to a UK average (all industries) of 13.2%! There’s still clearly a lot of work to be done to narrow this gap!

We also shone a spotlight on the excellent recruiters here at Spinnaker – glowing testimonials were published including this:

“I highly recommend Liam for his exceptional expertise and invaluable assistance in securing my first job in this very competitive industry. His guidance and support were instrumental in positioning me at an accredited company in a role that aligns perfectly with my interests. Liam’s dedication and professionalism make him an invaluable resource for anyone seeking career guidance or job placement. He is truly fantastic to work with!”

We also started working with Mark Williams at Shipping Strategy and the Spinnaker team attended some of his brilliant training on Decarbonisation and ESG.

In May, we hosted our 16th annual Maritime People & Culture conference in London. This regular gathering of Maritime HR professionals represented shipping companies from every corner of the globe. This year we hosted our very first gala dinner, kindly sponsored by ABS, during which we announced the winner of the inaugural ‘Best HR Initiative’ Award sponsored by Mintra.

We had invited members of the Maritime HR Association to submit an entry detailing a new HR practice, policy or initiative that they had put in place. Entries ranged from diversity programmes, improved HR systems and well-being activities.

The winner was Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) with their initiative of a Female Mentorship Programme for newly joining women cadets, connecting those at sea with a shore-based mentor. Bravo team BSM!

June was a celebration of the wonderful seafaring community in ‘Day of the Seafarer’. We asked seafarers past and present for their thoughts on the most attractive thing about a career at sea and any advice they would you give to young people who are looking to start a seafaring career.

Spinnaker’s business development team, Helen McCaughran and Monique Turner headed to Greece for the bi-annual Posidonia event, returning with lots of business cards and a love for the Greek culture (and souvlaki!).

In July, we released our annual wage cost report for seafarers onboard vessels in deck & engine positions. The reports help shipowners and managers calculate the cost of crewing a ship, as the reports take into consideration not only the wages of the seafarers, but also their rotation patterns and whether they are employed or contracted.

Throughout August, Spinnaker’s data team carry out the final checks on the shore-based salary survey which were released to participating companies and members of the Maritime HR Association in October. The reports enable clients to check they are paying their staff in line with the market in roles such as technical superintendents and operators in all of the major shipping hubs.

In September, Spinnaker hosted the annual OSCAR Dragon Boat at London’s Docklands Sailing Club. The event raises money for Great Ormond Street to help fund research into treatment for leukaemia for sick children. The event has raised over £3 million since its’ conception in 2011. What an achievement!

In October, Teresa headed to Limassol in Cyprus for the WISTA AGM and in November Monique headed to Manila for the Seatrade Crew Connect event and a week of seminars, networking and socialising.

And here we are in December looking forward to our Christmas party and the holiday season with our friends and family.

We wish our clients a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year and we look forward to working with you in 2025!

Hot Jobs – Top 10 maritime vacancies – December 2024

For over 25 years, Spinnaker has been assisting shipowners, shipmanagers, oil majors, and P&I clubs in fulfilling their maritime recruitment requirements. Every day, we receive a constant influx of new job openings, all conveniently listed on our website. To simplify your job search, we have handpicked a collection of the ten most sought-after positions available right now. Get in touch if you’re interested but do it quickly as they won’t be around for long!

A full list of current vacancies can be found on our website:

Senior Claims Manager – London, UK

Although this position has a managerial title, it does not involve direct team management responsibilities. Instead, you will provide guidance and mentorship to junior team members. The position will involve having overall control of claims from inception to competition and liaising with members to ensure their individual needs and requirements are met.

View Job – Senior Claims Manager

Vessel Manager – Aberdeen, UK

A DP OSV operator is looking for a Vessel Manager for their vessels operating in Northern Europe based in Aberdeen. To be eligible for the role you must have extensive experience of managing DP2 OSVs and keen for a new challenge with an excellent company.

View Job – Vessel Manager

Business Systems Lead – London, UK

You’ll help manage and improve key systems, processes, and data within a global shipping business. You’ll play a hands-on role in system administration, process mapping, and ensuring data quality, working directly with teams to drive better results through practical solutions for commercial shipping operations.

View Job – Business Systems Lead

Junior Vessel Operator – London, UK

Our client, a leading provider in shipping and transportation services worldwide, are looking to expand their London based team – seeking ambitious, resilient and driven individuals keen to build on the services provided for millions of customers across the globe. A suitable position for graduates holding Maritime Operations qualifications or 1+ year exposure in the Shipping industry. 

View Job – Junior Vessel Operator

Associate (Wet & Dry Shipping) – London, UK

In this role, you will be responsible for handling marine insurance claims, including hull and machinery, war, marine liability, cargo, and yachts, as well as wet and dry shipping matters. Responsibilities will also include policy drafting, and international travel may be required.

View Job – Associate

Vice President/Director Public Health & Food Safety – UK

n this role you’ll have the chance to shape and implement cutting-edge strategies across an international fleet. Collaborating with cross-functional teams’ in various locations globally, you’ll drive operational excellence, ensure regulatory compliance, and prioritise the wellbeing of passengers and crew.

View Job – Vice President/Director Public Health & Food Safety

Assistant to the Clerk – London, UK

This full-time position, based in the City of London, will see you supporting the Clerk and liaising with a diverse membership of Liverymen and Freemen. You’ll be the face of the company, assisting with the planning and delivery of Royal, Civic, and Livery events, requiring an understanding of social etiquette, titles, forms of address, and the correct use of post-nominal letters.

View Job – Assistant to the Clerk

Hire Specialist (Marine Accounting) – Singapore

This position would work in close cooperation with their Operations, Finance and Commercial teams and would be responsible for the timely and accurate calculation and execution of the Hire- related elements of the time charter contracts.

View Job – Hire Specialist

LNG Senior Sales Operations Officer – Qatar

The suitable candidate will be responsible for all commercial, logistical and administrative support to an LNG trading desk and activity, ensuring all in which arises from LNG contracts and charter parties are met sufficiently. Liaison with traders to help maximise the vaule for operations will be a vitol part of the role whilst minimising profit leakage from the contracts and supply programmes.

View Job – LNG Senior Sales Operations Officer

Senior Claims Executive – London, UK

Applicants should have a minimum of three years of experience in marine insurance, claims, or maritime law. A strong working knowledge of shipping law is essential, as well as experience in handling P&I and H&M claims.

View Job – Senior Claims Executive

For more information on any of the jobs above, please email Spinnaker.

View these jobs, and more on our website.

Shore-based salary rises set to slow in 2025

Following the release of Spinnaker’s annual salary survey for shore-based shipping jobs, Spinnaker’s HR Consulting team have been collating and analysing information regarding salary reviews and pay projections for the year ahead.

The Maritime HR Association’s annual salary survey report for shore-based shipping jobs is made up of real salary and bonus data from 107 shipping companies and for shipping jobs such as Technical Superintendent, Operator and Charterer. Data is provided to Spinnaker from the HR departments of these shipping companies and this year’s report covered 35,000 shipping professionals in 103 countries.

When analysing the data, we can see how the actual salary budgets in 2024 compared to the salary forecasts in 2023. The overall picture was fairly accurate with the variance ranging from just -0.95% to 1.34% when comparing actual budgets against the forecasted budgets. 

Looking ahead to 2025, in 95% of cases the salary budget projections for 2025 are less than the actual increase in 2024. What’s more, the projected salary budget increases are lower than all-industry projections (source https://worldatwork.org/) in all but four locations. These being Italy, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland.

That said, member projected budget increases are higher than corresponding 2024 inflation rates in roughly 92% of locations.

When it came to how the salary budget was spent, in 2024 a higher proportion was spent on ‘rises for top performers or key staff only’ and ‘rises for specific individuals or departments to ensure alignment with market rates’ than in 2023.

11% of respondents paid the same % increase to all employees regardless of performance with this figure remaining unchanged from 2023.

In terms of bonuses, 81% of responding companies paid bonuses to all eligible staff in 2024 with over half saying there was no maximum bonus limit!

For roles in the ‘Technical & Marine’ job family, 87% of companies are forecasting bonuses of up to 50% of salary for their most senior members of staff such as Heads of Department in 2025, whilst 61% of respondents expect to pay between 1-10% bonuses to the junior members in this job family.

23% of respondents expect higher bonuses payments in 2025 whilst the remaining companies expect bonuses to be the same as in 2024 or lower.

The data in the survey is derived from members of Spinnaker’s Maritime HR Association. The brainchild of Spinnaker CEO Phil Parry, who back in 2005 was approached by a group of large shipowners and operators in the maritime industry who were looking for a way to benchmarking the salaries of their shore-based employees.
The need was for real and current data from individual employees and not just recruitment data.

The Maritime HR Association was launched shortly after with the aim of helping organisations ensure that the salaries they offer are fair and competitive, which can in turn help attract and retain top talent.

To find out more about the salary and bonus reports that Spinnaker provide, please contact Helen McCaughran or Monique Turner in the business development team. 

Transforming lives on the world’s largest hospital ships

Mercy Ships runs the two largest charity hospital ships in the world, the Global Mercy and the Africa Mercy.

The hospital ships sail directly to ports in sub-Saharan Africa, bringing free, life-changing surgeries to women, men and children.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the need is great. Surgery can cost more than many earn in an entire year, pushing families deeper into poverty.

Fortunately, almost half of the world’s population lives within 100 miles of a coast. That’s why Mercy Ships uses state-of-the-art hospital ships to bring free medical care directly to the places they’re needed most.

Mercy Ships volunteers perform thousands of surgical procedures every year, from blindness to bowed legs, cleft lips to facial tumours.

https://youtu.be/IMVJaVrN-xY

Together we’re bringing hope and healing

Mercy Ships life-changing work wouldn’t be possible without partners like Spinnaker Global, and many more across the maritime industry.

Ben Barker, Third Engineer, at work in the engine room. Mercy Ships relies on hundreds of skilled volunteers to help run their charity hospital ships.

From gifts-in-kind to recruiting volunteers with maritime expertise, Spinnaker provides vital investment and support to the charity.

To read more about the impact we are making through supporting Mercy Ships, read their new Impact Report.

Inside, you’ll discover their incredible impact in Sierra Leone and Madagascar this year.

You can also see the highlights from the Cargo Day Gala, an annual charity dinner celebrated by hundreds of leaders across the maritime world.

Discover the impact you’re making with Mercy Ships

The Global Mercy and the Africa Mercy sailing together after departure from Tenerife, Spain.

Seafarer Wage Trends Revealed: Insights from Spinnaker’s 2024 Global Pay Survey

Spinnaker, the maritime industry’s leading compensation and benefits expert, has published its annual Seafarer Wage Cost Survey, offering exclusive insights into the pay trends and benefits for seafarers across all major vessel types. Analysing data for a staggering 250,000 seafarers, provided directly by shipowners and managers, this survey is the definitive benchmark for the global maritime sector.

The findings, derived from Spinnaker’s Seafarer Employers’ Association, a membership group comprising 50 shipowners and ship managers, highlight both emerging trends and long-standing issues in seafarer remuneration. Here’s what the 2024 report uncovered:

Pay Reviews Now a Priority

A notable shift this year is the increasing importance of annual pay reviews for seafarers. All respondents confirmed they conduct yearly pay reviews, a 10% rise compared to 2023, signalling a stronger commitment to fair remuneration amidst global talent shortages. “This may not sound like news,” says Compensation and Benefits Manager Sandra Brown, “but over the last few years, we have seen a shift from a more laissez-faire approach – annual reviews for seafarer pay are now universal.”

Pay Increases and Challenges

However, reviews don’t always translate to pay rises. Despite overall upward pay trends, pay freezes persist in some companies, albeit marginally less than the 21% of companies that in 2023 forecasted a pay freeze in 2024 for all Officers.  In reality, the Spinnaker report showed that 16% of companies froze the pay of their Senior Officers and 21% of companies froze the pay of their Junior Officers. More widespread pay freezes are predicted for 2025.

Whilst 74% of companies awarded a raise of over 1.1% to Junior Officers, this wage growth has not kept pace with inflation. For Senior Officers, 73% of companies awarded a rise of over 1.1% and they were more likely to receive a rise of over 3% than Junior Officers or Ratings.

Looking Ahead to 2025

A third of companies are forecasting a 2.1%–3% wage increase for Senior Officers, Junior Officers and Ratings in 2025.
The number of companies looking to pay more than a 3% wage increase in 2025 is less than we’ve seen in 2024. Just 5% of companies are forecasting a rise of any more than 3% for Junior Officers and Ratings.

Nationality-Based Pay Structures Declining

In a significant departure from tradition, fewer companies now differentiate wages based on nationality. Cruise operators, in particular, are leading this charge, maintaining consistent pay strategies regardless of nationality.  Only 45% of participants reported using nationality-based pay scales, compared to 54% in 2023.

“This is something we’ll be keeping a close eye on,” says Brown. “Even 50% of non-cruise employers say they are not differentiating pay based upon nationality. We want to understand whether this means levelling up or levelling down for particular nationalities and whether it means that some nationalities previously seen as ‘too expensive’ might now benefit or if that means they will simply have to accept lower wages to obtain employment.”

Of course, pay differentiation has not gone away. Filipino Senior Officers on crude tankers, for instance, experienced relatively large YoY wage increases of anything up to 6%, but still earn less than their Polish, Latvian, and British counterparts.  

Bonuses and Benefits: A Mixed Bag

Performance bonuses remain common for Officers, with 67% of companies paying them. Ratings continue to lag behind, with only 22% of employers extending bonuses to this group. On a positive note, the vast majority of respondents now provide essential benefits like medical coverage, disability benefit, and death-in-service payouts, regardless of rank.

Why This Matters                                     

Spinnaker’s survey underscores the changing dynamics of crew wages, shedding light on both progress and persistent challenges. With formal wage reviews now an annual exercise for all companies amid a growing focus on fairness and a highly competitive landscape, seafarer pay is expected to evolve rapidly in the next few years.

Hot Jobs – Top 10 maritime vacancies – November 2024

For over 25 years, Spinnaker has been assisting shipowners, shipmanagers, oil majors, and P&I clubs in fulfilling their maritime recruitment requirements. Every day, we receive a constant influx of new job openings, all conveniently listed on our website. To simplify your job search, we have handpicked a collection of the ten most sought-after positions available right now. Get in touch if you’re interested but do it quickly as they won’t be around for long!

A full list of current vacancies can be found on our website:

Marine Producing Broker – London/Remote, UK

The successful candidate will be commercially minded, self-motivated and keen to travel to meet clients globally. You will have full autonomy to set your own agenda to develop marine P&I and H&M business in Europe. The ideal candidate will have solid working relationships with shipowners in the marine retail market in London / Europe with 5-15 years underwriting or broking experience.

View Job – Marine Producing Broker

Senior Contacts Analyst (Shipping) – Middle East

Our client is looking for a skilled Senior Contract Analyst (Shipping) to provide both technical and commercial support to the Ship Contracts & Bunkering division. This role involves the development, negotiation, execution, analysis, and evaluation of LNG shipping and other marine-related contracts, ensuring that the company’s interests are protected and obligations are met as per the terms of each agreement.

View Job – Senior Contract Analyst

Marine Risk/Quality Projects Superintendent – Middle East

Our client is looking for an experienced Marine Quality Assurance Specialist to ensure the safe, efficient, and injury-free transportation of cargo to customers worldwide. This role focuses on assessing the marine quality of vessels chartered or under consideration for charter, while overseeing various shipping projects to ensure fleet competitiveness and regulatory compliance.

View Job – Marine Risk/Quality Projects Superintendent

Fleet Operations Superintendent – Middle East

Our client is seeking an experienced Fleet Operations Specialist to serve as the primary communication link between the company and chartered LNG carriers. This role ensures voyages are managed effectively, with vessels operating safely and efficiently. The position involves close collaboration with owners, operators, and related stakeholders to address and resolve fleet commercial operation challenges.

View Job – Fleet Operations Superintendent

Marine Specialist – Middle East

Our client is seeking a seasoned Marine Operations Specialist to ensure the safe and efficient compatibility of chartered LNG carriers with their nominated terminals. The role involves close coordination with ship owners and operators to address vessel acceptability and compatibility, safeguarding the company’s commercial and reputational interests.

View Job – Marine Specialist

Senior Compliance Officer – Qatar

Responsibilities include designing compliance frameworks, evaluating controls, and monitoring adherence to laws and regulations. You will lead compliance risk assessments, propose improvements, and provide detailed reports to senior management and external regulatory bodies. In this position, you will collaborate with internal teams and management, act as an advisor on compliance matters, and drive education and awareness across the organization.

View Job – Senior Compliance Officer

Cost Controller – Qatar

You will take the lead in ensuring effective cost control and reporting processes within the Fleet Technical department, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, accruals, and cost management.  Your role will focus on maintaining budget adherence, providing insightful financial analysis, and identifying opportunities for cost optimization. In your position, you will work closely with internal stakeholders and contribute to the development of financial systems and processes that support cost management objectives.

View Job – Cost Controller

Line Manager – Dubai, UAE

You’ll be responsible for the operational efficiency of various services, ensuring maximum yield.  As the Line Manager, you’ll take charge of the P&L of all services assigned to you. Management of bunker efficiency and consumption will play a large part in you strategic decision making and analysis. You will have experience of line management in a container line environment, ideally having managed feeder services. This position is based in Dubai, and open to candidate outside the country.

View Job – Line Manager

Sales Executive – Scotland, UK

You’ll be at the heart of general marine equipment and spare part trading operations, ensuring everything runs smoothly from start to finish. This is a hybrid position, offering the ability to work from home. You will need to be in commutable distance of the office close to the Port Glasgow. You’ll be the first point of contact for customers and suppliers, managing requests for quotations, following up on proposals, and ensuring timely order delivery.

View Job – Sales Executive

Account Director (Maritime Crisis Management) – London, UK

As an Account Director you’ll be a trusted advisor, delivering strategic crisis management solutions, media training, and tailored response strategies to maritime clients. This is a client-facing position with no direct reports, but you’ll play a key role in mentoring and guiding junior team members, helping them build their skills in crisis management. The role is based in the London office five days a week, and involves regular travel to meet clients and manage on-site crisis situations.

View Job – Account Director

For more information on any of the jobs above, please email Spinnaker.

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