Stranded sailors

[arcticpenguin]

This is a weird situation: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,7089095%255E1702,00.html

FIFTEEN sailors from Poland and Mexico have been stranded for more than two months near the entry to the Panama Canal and say they are running short of food, fuel and fresh water.

The Norwegian owner of the vessel, the cement hauler CEM-K, has reportedly suffered financial difficulties.
...
Except in emergency situations, the four Mexicans and 11 Polish crew members are stuck aboard their vessels unless their company pays docking fees.

Day by day, ships headed for the canal pass by the prosaic vessel, anchored almost eight kilometres offshore, which is draped with a banner reading, "No money, no food, no fuel".

They're stuck aboard because their employer can't afford the fees for the ship to dock?

[WildCat]

Should've packed some fishing rods. ;)

[Charlie Monoxide]

Throw a Donner party!

Polish sausage or Mexican food.

Charlie (Donner, mmmmmm arghhhh) Monoxide

[a_unique_person]

In fact, the treatment of sailors on many ships is a disgrace, with employees treated as little more than cannon fodder.

[Crossbow]

Being a commercial sailor can be pretty weird all right.

Often, these shipping companies are bought, sold, go bankrupt, start up. Sometimes the crew will be working for one company at the start of a voyage, be working for another during the voyage, and be working for yet another when the voyage ends, and all of this occurs while on the same ship.

[richardm]

I've heard of this happening before, in fact. A ship (whose name I can't remember) was stuck outside a port (whose name I can't remember) when the parent company (whose name - you get the idea) went bust.

With no fuel to go home, and no money to pay landing fees, the ship was stuck. After some months of this, the ship mysteriously caught fire, and the crew went ashore in the lifeboats.

Erm. Good anecdote, eh? I'll try to find some details.

[PogoPedant]

First hand anecdot : Mys Frunze (or possibly Mus Frynze, I could never get that right) was a russian trawler stuck in Horten for several years as it's shipping company couldn't afford to pay for docking fees. Neither could the four next companies to buy the ship. The ship also changed crew a number of times while sitting on the dock rusting away.
What happened in the end, I don't know, presumable someone came up with the money, cause Mys is no longer where she used to be.

As for the stranded sailers, I can only say it's a crying shame. I hope someone takes responsibility and gets those guys to shore.