Rotations at sea: crew contracts and pay

A rotation at sea is paid as a monthly allotment plus a leave element, not as a daily wage for every day aboard. The contract sets a tour length, a leave ratio and a notice period, and the crewing desk runs the changeover that moves one crew off and the next crew on. Pay arrives on a fixed monthly date, usually by bank transfer, with the leave days accrued in the same document. A crewing desk that runs a rotation, such as the one behind maritime crew rotation contracts, holds the payroll calendar, the allotment instructions and the leave ledger for each seafarer on its books.

How is a rotation at sea paid?

A seafarer on a rotation is normally paid a monthly basic wage for the whole calendar year, not only for the months aboard. The basic wage is spread across twelve months so that the leave period carries income. On top of basic, the contract lists allowances: a fixed overtime rate or a guaranteed overtime figure, a leave allowance, sometimes a tanker or gas allowance, and a subsistence or victualling element. The total is often quoted as a monthly gross figure and a daily rate for part months.

Pay is subject to United Kingdom income tax and National Insurance where the seafarer is UK resident and the employer operates PAYE. Seafarers who qualify for the Seafarers' Earnings Deduction can claim relief on foreign-going voyages under HMRC rules, which is a tax return matter rather than a payroll one. The employer deducts PAYE and National Insurance at source and issues payslips monthly, with a P60 at the end of the tax year.

The pay cycle itself is monthly and fixed. Most contracts state that wages are paid on a named date, for example the last working day of each month, by transfer to a nominated account. Overtime is either paid in the same monthly run or banked and settled at the end of the tour, depending on the contract. A seafarer should check which of the two applies before signing, because the difference shows up in the first two payslips.

Leave pay is separate from basic in some contracts and rolled into it in others. Where leave is paid separately, the contract states a daily leave rate and the number of days accrued per month of service. Where it is rolled in, the monthly figure already includes it and no separate line appears. Both arrangements are lawful, but they produce different figures if the seafarer leaves mid-tour.

The desk confirms the monthly figure, the allotment split and the date the money leaves the employer's account.

What does a crew changeover involve?

A crew changeover is the handover of a vessel's crew at a port, and it involves travel, documents, a handover period and a sign-off. The outgoing crew member works a handover with the incoming one, usually one to three days, covering the watch, the machinery, the cargo systems and any outstanding defects. The incoming seafarer signs the vessel's articles or a joining report, and the outgoing seafarer signs off.

The desk books flights, visas and port passes, and arranges a joining date that matches the vessel's schedule. Changeover ports are chosen for flight connections and for immigration practicality, not for the seafarer's home city. A changeover can move at short notice if the vessel's schedule changes, and contracts usually allow the employer to alter the joining port.

Documents matter more than anything else at this stage. A seafarer needs a valid passport, a seaman's book or discharge book, a certificate of competency where the rank requires one, a medical certificate, and any visa the changeover country demands. The Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Convention, administered by the International Maritime Organization, sets the certificate framework that most flags require. Missing paperwork delays a changeover and the delay is usually unpaid.

Travel to and from the vessel is normally at the employer's expense, and the contract states whether the seafarer is paid for travel days. Many contracts pay a travel day rate or a fixed travel allowance. The changeover itself is not leave: the seafarer is still on the employer's business until sign-off, and the tour ends on the date recorded in the discharge book.

What does a seafarer's contract say about leave and notice?

A seafarer's contract states a leave ratio, a notice period and the circumstances in which notice can be given without it. The leave ratio is the number of days of paid leave accrued for each day or month aboard, commonly expressed as a ratio such as 1:1 or 1:2 for a rotation, or as a fixed number of days per year. The contract also states when leave may be taken and whether it can be deferred.

Notice is usually a fixed period, for example one month, given by either side. Statutory notice under the Employment Rights Act 1996 sets a floor for employees with continuous service, but a seafarer's contract often sets a longer period because of the cost of an unplanned changeover. The contract should also state the notice required for resignation in port and the consequences of failing to work the notice.

Where the Equality Act 2010 applies, the contract cannot contain terms that discriminate on protected grounds, and any term that does is unenforceable. Working time at sea is governed by the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, which sets maximum hours of work and minimum hours of rest, and by the Merchant Shipping (Hours of Work) Regulations 2002 in the United Kingdom. The contract should state the rest hour regime that applies to the vessel.

A seafarer should check four things before signing: the monthly basic figure, the leave ratio and how leave is paid, the notice period on both sides, and the changeover port arrangements. If any of the four is missing, the contract is incomplete and the seafarer should ask for it in writing before the joining date.

Who runs the rotation day to day?

The crewing desk runs the rotation day to day. It holds the crew list, tracks each seafarer's tour dates, books reliefs, and keeps the certificate and medical records current. The desk also handles the payroll calendar, the allotment instructions and the leave ledger. On a large fleet the desk works to a rotation plan that shows every rank on every vessel for the next twelve months.

The desk's main risk is a gap: a seafarer who cannot join because a certificate has expired, a visa has not arrived or a flight has been missed. Good desks track expiry dates months ahead and start the relief process early. A seafarer can help by keeping the desk informed of any change to certificates, medical status or availability.

What records should a seafarer keep?

A seafarer should keep a copy of the contract, the discharge book entries, the monthly payslips, the P60, and the record of travel days and changeover dates. These records settle disputes about leave accrued, notice worked and pay owed. They also support a tax claim for the Seafarers' Earnings Deduction, which requires evidence of the voyages and the days spent outside the United Kingdom.

Records should be kept for at least six years after the end of the tax year they relate to, which matches the period HMRC can normally enquire into a return. A simple folder, paper or digital, is enough. The point is to be able to produce the dates and the figures if the desk or the employer asks for them.