We caught up with the new CEO of Safer Waves, Jessica Brannan. Jessica spoke to us about the ongoing importance of Safer Waves' work in providing a safe place to turn for survivors of sexual abuse at sea, and how funding from The Seafarers' Charity and others has allowed them to grow from a one room operation to a professionalised organisation supporting seafarers all over the globe.
The Challenge
It was the first time, so I tried speaking up. I told the captain what had been happening. He called me a liar. The chief officer asked me what I expected, living on a ship with grown men, and told me to grow up and stop causing trouble. I was too scared to go to the police. […] Eventually, after multiple complaints over about a year, they finally banned him – and apologised to him for being forced to do so.
[Anonymous testimony of an abuse survivor]
Imagine being thousands of miles from home, working on a ship where your safety should be guaranteed. Instead, you experience sexual abuse, harassment, or gender discrimination. For too many seafarers, this is a reality.
Unlike on land, seafarers often cannot leave a hostile environment or access traditional support. The isolation of life at sea makes abuse even harder to escape and recovery even harder to begin. Until recently, there was no dedicated organisation offering seafarers the specialist support they needed.
The Solution
Founded in 2019, Safer Waves was created so that survivors of sexual violence or harassment at sea would have somewhere safe to turn. What began as a volunteer-led initiative, run from the founder’s front room, has grown into a vital source of hope for seafarers worldwide.
Safer Waves’ anonymous email service allows survivors to share their story in confidence, and their website offers practical support without fear of exposure.
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“Reaching out for support is a massive and extremely brave step. Not everyone is always ready to take it. That’s why we also provide online resources so that people can gather the information they need, in their own time, to make informed choices about what to do next.”
Jessica Brannan
Safer Waves’ Chief Executive Officer
A recent report from Safer Waves, surveying nearly 300 seafarers, found that 80% had experienced a sexual offence at sea as either a victim or witness within the last five years. But Safer Waves recognises that seafarers face unique barriers which land-based support services may not be able to deal with.
“You can’t tell a seafarer to go for a walk or spend time with family,” Jessica says. “We tailor our advice to what’s possible at sea, so the support is meaningful and realistic.”
Alongside direct survivor support, Safer Waves delivers Responder Training to help maritime professionals handle disclosures sensitively, and Bystander Training to give crew members the tools to safely challenge unacceptable behaviour. These initiatives are creating cultural change across the industry, one conversation at a time.
Funding a Better Future
Our partnership with Safer Waves — alongside the UK P&I Club and TK Foundation — has been pivotal in helping the charity evolve from a grassroots initiative into a professional organisation. Multi-year funding has enabled the recruitment of two members of staff, both committed to growing the reach and impact of Safer Waves, as well as supporting core costs.
Jessica reflects on what this support means:
“Having The Seafarers’ Charity as a funder gives us stability and credibility. And the partnership goes far beyond funding; their networks and expertise help us amplify our voice in an industry that can be hard to reach.”
Achievements and Impact
In just a few short years, Safer Waves has achieved remarkable growth. Survivor emails now receive replies within 72 hours (and often much sooner), and the service is reaching more people than ever before.
The charity delivers two Responder Training courses each year, attracting participants from across the globe, and active bystander sessions for cadets, helping future seafarers recognise and respond to harassment safely. So far in 2025, nearly 400 people have been trained.
Safer Waves has also secured key partnerships, including with MSC Cruise Management, which now displays Safer Waves posters across its fleet. New resources, such as multi-country fact sheets, ensure that wherever seafarers work, they can access support in a language they understand.
Looking Ahead
As Safer Waves looks to the future, Jessica is focused on expanding the charity’s training and support so that every maritime organisation understands how to respond to disclosures safely and compassionately.
“We want to professionalise our training even further and reach as many people as possible,” she says. “By learning directly from survivors and supporting those who hear disclosures, we can build a safer, more empathetic maritime industry.”
As the maritime industry begins to confront long-ignored issues of welfare and inclusion, Safer Waves is helping shape new training standards and awareness at every level, from cadets to senior management.
“For many survivors, that first positive response to a disclosure is life changing. It can make the difference between silence and recovery.”
Find out more about Safer Waves and their work to make life at sea safer for everyone at saferwaves.org
