Our ‘Seafarer Stories’ column hosts seafarers’ views who present briefly the key challenges of life and work onboard, providing a picture of what a career at sea actually means. In this context, we are happy to host an interview with Captain James Foong, a 33 years old Malaysian Master Mariner with 15 years of sailing experience. He was elected as Associate Fellow to The Nautical Institute London. He attended ship captain training in NZ Maritime School and passed CoC class 1, the highest grade of seafarers qualification as the youngest Master Mariner at age 28 in 2016 certified by the Government of New Zealand.
In 2019, he received a scholarship to pursue MBA in Shipping & Logistics from Middlesex University London, a program which is accredited under CMI, Chartered Management Institute in the United Kingdom.
SAFETY4SEA: What do you love the most out of your career at sea?
Captain James Foong:
TOP FIVE
1. Earn in US dollars currency at a very young age.
2. Certain countries they are considered tax free income due to non-resident status
3. Many fond memories onboard the ship can last a lifetime.
4. When you completed your contract and stepped out of the gangway, knowing you did a good job.
5. Quick Decision making keeps the mind active and alert.
S4S: What have you learned over the course of your career at sea?
Capt J.F.:
TOP THREE
1. History has proven that Time is the best teacher, it gives us the best lesson often without speaking a word.
2. Always stay humble, good name travels far, bad name can be known immediately!
3. It’s not how much you speak but how much you have spoken often makes the best conversation.
S4S: How would you describe your daily life at sea/ work in a few words?
For those working in offices based when taking coffee breaks, remember we seafarers onboard sometimes breaks without coffee and most of the time coffee without breaks, that’s life at sea.
S4S: What is the biggest challenge that you have to face on board?
“You’re from Malaysia, so are you a Muslim?”
“Surprised to know Malaysian use chopsticks too!”
You might be surprised these are the questions I’ve been frequently approached by many.
Throughout my career at sea engaged with a multinational working environment, most of the time I am the only Malaysian in the group.
I’ve noticed many times on how your nationality does represent much of your country instead of your own individual behavior. Whatever you do, they will think this is the Malaysian way; not particularly your way. You might be the only Malaysian they knew about!
So behave well and be proud of where you came from, a nation with diversified culture and religion. Malaysia, truly Asia.
S4S: What is your piece of advice to fellow crew members onboard?
Capt. J.F.: TOP FIVE
1. Safety first, you come onboard in one piece and go home too in one piece.
2. Start to have a retirement plan on your next immediate payslip.
3. Find the fastest way to obtain your CoC class 1, the highest grade of seafarers qualification, you will thank me later.
4. What’s onboard the ship remains onboard, including the fancy salary and titles.
5. You might be surprised the best mentor onboard ship could be the good Cook in your galley.
And for those who just started their seafaring career, ask yourself “when do you plan to quit sailing for good?”
You might be surprised this is the most difficult question to answer among the seafarers.
S4S: What inspires you every day onboard?
When I was onboard, I complained about how bad my life was. When I step ashore only to remember how grateful my life is onboard.Green or Yellow, it’s all about mindset. If you have a weak mindset, even working near to where you lived it’s still something to complain about.The best way is to plan ahead, for my case would be retirement plans.
When I was 18 washing toilets at sea where many of my friends still glamour in college, instead of complaining, I took the effort to draft my retirement plans. How a tortoise like me can win the rabbit race. Now I’m 33, instead of choosing one single plan for my future, I try to indulge into many projects because life is too short to devote your life to 1 craft only. There are ‘millions’ of people to meet and places to explore, discover & learn.
I’m a seafarer by profession which is one of my many passions. Also nowadays I have less attachment towards success or perfectionism over happiness because I believe success is judged/determined by others but only you can control your own happiness.
S4S: What has been the most extraordinary thing that you have experienced on board?
I started to expose the maritime world in 2006 and the first vessel I served was a 1978 built “Tenaga Dua” the oldest class of its kind in the entire LNG fleet of MISC Berhad during that time. I had gone through more than 5 times of dry dock experience with LNG tankers and mega container ships, and my longest at sea serving was 308 days onboard. Life at sea is not much different. Because you have a lot of time to yourself and a confined space with limited people and communication. There will be days where you toil endlessly without so much as an appreciation and there will be days on end where even your sleep cycle will go for a complete toss.
I even sailed through the Suez Canal which is commonly used by many merchant vessels today as well as the Strait of Magellan where only certain trades and patterns by not many vessels use today. There are good days and the bad days onboard, everything will pass and newer things will come your way. There is no adventure in this job unless you start to see it as one. That moment when you realise that you’re an officer who has the charge and responsibility of a multi billion dollar floating space with all the cargo and people on it. The ship will pass through shallow waters and canals and rivers and date lines, and ferry things across continents, things most people have just read in a text book and will probably never be able to witness in their lifetime.
S4S: What piece of advice would you give to someone thinking of a career at sea?
A word of advice : Stay away from people that want to kill your dreams , passions & ambitions. Unfortunately most of the time the first people to do that are our friends and family – not because they don’t care : but because they try to protect you and keep you safe : and the funny thing is they protect you not from your fear but theirs …
You should develop the ability to stand alone against people that talk down on you or trying to pull you away from your vision and passion
And find as fast as possible the people that speak your language and can understand your journey. If you have a dream , if you have a passion , if you have a bigger purpose you are already unique. Most people live their life without any dream or purpose , waking up every day to the same dawning routine , surviving another day with no goal or ambition – thank god its Friday at the end of every week.
Don’t let them be the ones to talk you out of yours.
Keep your head up , keep on fighting …
In the end – you will either impact your environment or the environment will impact you .
The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and not necessarily those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
Dear James, still remember that ship together on Pacific ocean to Long Beach so many time crossing, always positive, always smile on the face, ready to talk, assisting, learning.
Wish you all the best in future my friend.
Zeljko