For six years, the Seafarer Connect project has been working to bridge one of the biggest gaps in modern seafaring life: affordable and reliable internet access for crews.
Despite international rules requiring internet access under the Maritime Labour Convention, many visiting ships still arrive in Australian ports with no connectivity on board. Where internet is available, it is often prohibitively expensive, placing it well out of reach for many seafarers.
Seafarer Connect, a project of the Tas Bull Seafarers Foundation, was created to address this problem. Through collaboration with wharfies, HSRs, pilots, port welfare staff, and port operators, the project has built a reliable system to deliver fast, free WiFi to ships in ports from Botany, Kembla and Newcastle to Brisbane, Melbourne, Geraldton and Kwinana.
“Our strength is the collaboration across the waterfront,” says Robert Coombs, Managing Director of the Tas Bull Seafarers Foundation. “From pilots to wharfies and port chaplains, everyone plays a role in ensuring the devices get safely up the gangway when a ship arrives and come back off at the end of its window.”
In partnership with Perth-based IT services provider Claratti, Seafarer Connect has re-engineered its WiFi units, moving from heavy Pelican cases to lightweight backpacks designed for easy handling. “The new design is lightweight, ergonomic, and purpose-built for maritime workers moving them on and off ships,” explains Claratti CEO Doug Childress. “We’ve built these in-house in Perth with high-performance components, ensuring strong connectivity to mobile networks and reliable WiFi on board.”
The improved devices, developed and manufactured in Australia, are faster, more durable and more user-friendly than the original units first deployed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project continues to grow with support from key partners. A recent A$150,000 grant from the ITF Seafarers Trust will fund new devices for northern Queensland, while support from the Victorian Government has strengthened coverage in Melbourne.
Seafarer Connect has also partnered with Stella Maris at Port Botany to establish a shore-based WiFi service at their seafarers’ centre. Managed by Sister Mary Leahy, the service provides free internet to crew while they wait for shore leave or spend time in the garden refuge built for visiting seafarers.
Seafarer Connect remains committed to expanding this vital service, ensuring seafarers arriving in Australian ports can stay connected with their families, access information, and enjoy a basic right that should be available to every worker at sea.