When Staying Onboard Is No Longer an Option

There is a moment every seafarer hopes never comes — the moment when the ship that has protected you can no longer do so.

In Episode 3 of Seafarer’s Way, Captain Rommel speaks honestly and calmly about abandon ship — not as a dramatic scene from a movie, but as a deeply human decision made under pressure, fear, and responsibility.

This episode asks you to imagine waking in the middle of the night to alarms, shouting, and a vessel already listing. Not during a drill. Not during training. But for real. And in that moment, asking yourself one question: Do I know exactly what to do?

Drawing lessons from real maritime tragedies, including the sinking of the ferry Estonia, this episode explores why survival is not just about having lifeboats onboard — but about being able to reach them, launch them, and survive long enough to be rescued.

Captain Rommel explains why SOLAS Chapter III is not just about equipment. It is about the entire journey from alarm to survival: muster lists, escape routes, lighting, drills, immersion suits, and crew familiarity. Every detail exists because, at some point in history, people believed they had more time than they did.

This episode challenges listeners to be honest with themselves. Do you truly know your muster station? Your primary and secondary duties? Or do you rely on the idea that you’ll “figure it out” when the time comes?

You’ll hear why panic is the enemy of survival, why rushing causes mistakes, and why SOLAS doesn’t ask seafarers to be heroes — it asks them to be prepared.

Abandon ship is not about fear.
It’s about acceptance.
Acceptance that discipline, training, and calm decision-making are what stand between survival and tragedy.

This episode is a quiet reminder that drills are rehearsals for moments that don’t allow second chances.