Sea-Lord

The 16 crew members aboard the 'Sea Lord' has been stranded at the Port of Ngqura for nearly two months, since the ship was detained on Nov 14, 2025, after a Port State Control (PSC) inspection identified 42 deficiencies, including the non-payment of crew wages. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) was monitoring the welfare of the seafarers, three of whom wer from Myanmar and 13 from India. As of Jan 13, the vessel remained detained.In line with international maritime standards, Samsa promptly notified the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) regarding the wage issues and efforts to secure payment from the vessel’s owners remained ongoing. Inspections conducted in January revealed additional humanitarian concerns, including shortages of fresh water, food supplies and electricity, as well as accumulating garbage on deck. The vessel was also subject to two court cases related to its arrest. The Samsa was collaborating with the Transnet National Ports Authority, ITF, Seafarers’ Mission and legal representatives to provide urgent humanitarian support to the crew and working diligently with all stakeholders to address these issues in accordance with the Maritime Labour Convention and other international obligations, prioritising the health and safety of those on board, and continued to oversee the resolution process, including the retention of the vessel’s original Certificate of Ship Registry.

Vessel SEA LORD (IMO: 9281413) has been reported to the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) for abandonment. Details: - Flag: Comoros - Port: Ngqura - Country: South Africa - Owed Wages: 3 months - Number of Seafarers: 16 - Seafarer Nationalities: India, Myanmar - Reported to ITF: 01 Oct 2025 - Status: Open This information is sourced from the ITF Seafarers abandonment list, which tracks cases of crew abandonment worldwide.