H

S pri n g 2 0 1 6 

Have you ever heard of the game

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? Maybe
youve played it at a
party or while on
a long road
trip. Players
attempt to
link various
Hollywood
film stars with
the prolific actor Kevin Bacon. Fans
claim that one can tie the ubiquitous
Bacon to anyone who has ever appeared
on the silver screen. The game builds upon the
idea that a network of personal acquaintances
can connect any two individuals in the world.

Volu me 1 0 8 /Number 1

Degrees of Separation

What if we tried to find connections in our

lives to maritime commerce? Well, in most
cases, we wouldnt have to look very hard. No
matter how far away from the sea or a navigable
waterway we live, no twenty-first century
human being lives outside the influence of
waterborne transportation.
Aunt Betty bought your new red sweater from
Ben, a salesclerk at Macys, who got it from
Robin, a local distributor who took receipt of a
shipment traveling through the Port of New York,
which was unloaded from a container ship by
Mac, a crane operator who took the container
from a vessel manned by First Officer Raul.

In this issue
Directors Log

How Many Steps?

Going by the Small World theory,
everyone should be able to connect
him- or herself to a mariner in fewer
than six steps. But you can claim
an even closer connection. Those
supporting our workpeople like
youdont trace their associations
through a series of distantly related
acquaintances; instead, they
recognize mariners as people with
whom they share direct link.

Even if we dont know a mariner on a firstname basis, someone we knowor someone

that someone knowsprobably does. One way
or another, everyone shares a connection to a
person working in maritime commerce. Though
the mountains divide, and the oceans are wide,
goes the song, Its a small world after all!
Over the decades, as the distances that goods travel from factory to store shelf have grown,
so have the networks that make global commerce possible. Expanded networks mean more
connections, so marinerswhether docked at our shores or around the worldare linked
more and more with land-dwellers like you and me.
When someone wonders, What does maritime commerce have to do with me?, folks in-theknow have a clear answer. Because of the connections in our world, all earths citizens are on
friendly terms with someone working on the water. Everyone shares a connection with the
men and women delivering the goods we use every day. Nobody is a stranger. Knowing how
closely we are all linked, the Seamens Church Institute (SCI)with your helpworks hard
to make sure all our friends, both close and faraway, get the help and support they need.
The Seamens Church Institute

Use the envelope enclosed in

this newsletter or go online
to make a donation that
shores up our connections to
the maritime world.

Samantha
Cowl

Seafarer
Health Study

Why I
Give

Bay Area
Update

Upcoming
Events

Simulator
Dedication

Founded in 1834, the

Institute is a voluntary,
ecumenical agency
affiliated with the
Episcopal Church that
provides pastoral care,
maritime education, and
legal and advocacy
services for mariners.
seamenschurch.org

Executive Directors Log

Dear Friends,
You might notice a theme here. In this newsletter, weve focused on the links that all
people have with the maritime world. Whether through one person or six, you and I share a
connection to someone working on the water.
Through these connections, everything we do and say has an effect on someone else.
Our actions can uplift, improve and comfort. Our absenceor lack of actioncan have
the opposite outcomes. We shouldnt underestimate our ability to influence change in
this world.
As we embark on another year of
service in the maritime industry,
I ask you to consider what you
can do to help those with whom
we share a maritime connection.
SCI relies on financial
contributionsboth dollars
given today and dollars pledged
for tomorrowto support and
protect our comrades at sea and
on the rivers.

Shipping lanes connect

so many places around
the globe. Every day
mariners move tons of
cargo across thousands
of miles. If you want to
get a glimpse of just
how far and wide these
connections run, visit
www.marinetraffic.com
for a live map of vessels
around the world.

This year, SCI plans to visit on

board over 17,000, transport
over 16,000, train over 3,000
and give legal counsel to over
50 professional mariners. Show
your connection to others with
whom you share this planet. Join
with SCI to strengthen our bond
to mariners.

SCI SUSTAINING
SPONSORS

Yours faithfully,

The Rev. David M. Rider

President & Executive Director

Spring 2016 Volume 108/Number 1

Published by
The Seamens Church Institute
seamenschurch.org
212-349-9090
fax: 212-349-8342
sci@seamenschurch.org
Richard T. du Moulin
Chairman, Board of Trustees
The Rev. David M. Rider
President and Executive Director
Editor, Oliver Brewer-Lennon
Design & Production, Bliss Design
The Lookout is printed on recycledpaper.
2 The Seamens Church Institute

The Lookout

Spring 2016

The Theory Explained

Six Degrees of Separation isnt just a parlor
game. Lots of scientists, philosophers
and psychologists have researched this
phenomenon. For a quick rundown of
the theory, watch The Six Degrees of
Separation Theory Explained, part of
YouTuber Matthew Santoros Facts in Five
series. http://smschur.ch/six-degs

Watch Dr. Lefkowitz

explain how he hopes visits
aboard vessels help him
gain more understanding
of the workplace-related
challenges seafarers
faceand how to help
them. http://smschur.ch/
rafael-lefkowitz

El Faro Relief Fund Update

To date, SCI has collected $586,081 donated to the El Faro
Relief Fund from 690 gifts, with contributions continuing to
trickle in. Daily, SCI receives and reviews grant applications
from families and others affected by the tragedy. So far, we
have approved 44 grants, distributing $207,642. Several new
applications remain in the review process.

Seafarer Health Study at SCI

by Rafael Y. Lefkowitz, MD MPH
Dr. Rafael Y. Lefkowitz from Yale School of Medicines Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program leads a study on seafarer
health, gathering data in collaboration with SCIs Port Newark International Seafarers Center. SCI anticipates these efforts will yield
new insights, increase seafarer wellness and help support the industry as a whole.
My research is in seafarer health. One
of the things Im trying to determine
is why some seafarers get sick or
injured at sea and others do not. My
study explores risk factors for injuries
and illness in seafarerssomething
that has to this point not been
well documented.
A major part of my work involves
going on board ships and exploring
the seafarer experience firsthand. In
this regard, I am grateful to partner
with SCI, gaining from their unique
access to ships and seafarers, which
has otherwise been a tremendous
hindrance to research in this area.
seamenschurch.org

I have boarded over 10 ships with

SCIs port chaplains and been able
to conduct surveys and interviews
with over 100 seafarers over the past
several months. I think this will help
me understand and transmit vital
information about the seafarer work
experience, which may be related
to health problems at sea that can
be prevented.
Currently, my research is in its early
stages, but my preliminary work on
seafarer telemedicine data has been
recently published in two studies in the
medical literature. Due in large part to
SCIs commitment to providing unique
The Lookout

access to seafarers, I was able to secure

additional funding from The National
Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) in the United States,
and Sailors Society in the UK. Yales
Occupational and Environmental
Medicine Program, where I work as a
faculty member, is developing into a
center for global seafarer health, and I
envision continued collaboration with
SCI as being essential to our mission.
Follow Dr. Lefkowitz (@atSeaDoctor)
on Twitter as he reaches out to
deliver health messages to the seafarer
community. You may also email him
at rafael.lefkowitz@yale.edu.
Spring 2016 3

SCI Ceases Management of Bay Area Seafarers Center

Since 2009, SCI has supervised and administered a small

seafarers center in the Port of Oakland, coordinating
ship visits, supplying and maintaining seafarer transport
and assuming costs for building maintenance, insurance
and repair. In 2016, SCI relinquishes management of this
Center, which houses an ecumenical partnership of ministry
to seafarers in the Bay Area of San Francisco, CA. Dayto-day ship visiting continues with ecumenical partners,
representing three denominational seafarers ministries.
SCI will collaborate with these and other seafarer welfare
agencies to ensure seafarers find support no matter where
their journeys take them.
The Institutes leadership did not take a decision to depart
from Bay Area center management lightly. SCI carefully
weighed many options. A final decision was guided by the
Institutes most recent Strategic Plan for the organization.
SCIs Strategic Plan outlines a vision to diversify the role of
the Institutes Port Newark facility, honing its resources to
establish it as the Institutes flagship seafarers facility. From
Port Newark, SCI aims to leverage its service and experience

with individual seafarers in order to benefit mariners around

the world. Initiatives include research and development,
multidisciplinary port-based training and a Port Newarkbased seafarer public health initiative.
In spite of the maritime industrys rapid transformation,
SCI remains in a highly advantageous position to move
forward in achievement and impact over the coming years
and beyond. Releasing management of the Oakland-based
International Maritime Center allows SCI to focus strength
and resources on the issues affecting mariners through
innovative practices in maritime ministry, advocacy and
education, seeking opportunities to bring them to scale
around the globe.
SCI is uniquely positioned as a global leader in maritime
ministry, impacting day-to-day operations of many U.S.based port ministries through its Center for Seafarers Rights.
The Institute will continue to leverage this voice to ensure
the network of maritime ministries throughout the United
States can board ships, meet mariners and serve their needs.

An Interactive Historical Timeline of SCI

by Johnathan Thayer, Senior Archivist
SCIS PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION DOCUMENTS A REMARKABLE
span of the Institutes history. It records its earliest origins as a missionary society
(whose Board of Managers gathered to meet in a small alcove of Trinity Church
back in 1834) through to the years when the Institute held church services
aboard the Floating Chapel and missionary outposts dotted the margins of Lower
Manhattans sailortown. Resonant historic photographs call to mind, too, SCIs
sailors hotel at 25 South Street, dedicated on the same morning the world
learned the fate of the RMS Titanic.
Today, things look a bit different, but the Institute has kept up with the changing
culture and geography of maritime commerce. An interactive historical timeline,
developed on cloud-based presentation software Prezi, takes online adventurers
through an account of SCIs history using its trove of photographs. Follow the
link below to explore the legacy of the United States largest East Coast seaport
seen through the historical evolution of SCI, from a tiny waterfront ministry to
its current role as North Americas largest mariners service agency.
http://smschur.ch/sci-timeline
4 The Seamens Church Institute

The Lookout

Spring 2016

Planned Giving
For over 180 years, SCI has built a lasting legacy of
service to the maritime community. The Institutes
commitment to hospitality, education and advocacy has
sustained the quality of life for many generations of mariners.
SCI continues to fulfill this mission for millions of men
and women in todays maritime workforce in
the United States and throughout
the world. You can
help sustain SCIs
lasting commitment to
mariners through a legacy gift.

Online Connections

SCI has set up an entirely new section of its website

focused on planned giving, outlining many of the
possibilities for making an enduring impact on the lives
of mariners. Visit seamenschurch.org/planned-giving and
discover the ways you can become part of the Institutes
heritage to mariners.

Make sure you stay informed with whats

going on. Like SCI on Facebook and follow
the Institutes work on Twitter.

In this modern age, computer networks link

people together like never before in history.
According to a 2010 study, On average,
about 50% of people on Twitter are only four
steps away from each other, while nearly
everyone is five steps away.1 The online
relationships we have with other people show
how connected our world is!

Twitter Friendship Data. Sysomos, Apr. 2010. Web.

Mark Your
Calendars
Simulator Dedication
& Open House
On May 24, the Seamens Church Institute (SCI) opens up the hatch onto a new era
of training in Houston, TX. Be one of the first to see the new technology in action.
Crews are working at SCIs Center in Houston, TX to get ready for the Institutes Open
House & Dedication ceremony on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 from 4:00 pm 6:00 pm. At this
event, folks from the blue- and brown-water industry will get a sneak-peak at the new
generation of simulators installed in SCIs renovated state-of-the-art training center.
We would love to have you and other SCI supporters attend this momentous event. Please
say youll join us. To RSVP, contact Merav Adia Davis, Development & Special Events
Associate, by email (mdavis@seamenschurch.org) or telephone +1 212-349-9090 ext. 246.

seamenschurch.org

The Lookout

Spring 2016 5

The
Samantha Cowl

Christmas at Seas newest knitting pattern, in partnership

with Micro Yarn MillTM North Light Fibers, celebrates the life
of former SCI Trustee Samantha C. Smith, who passed away
in 2014 at the age of 44.
SCI Trustee Samantha C. Smith ardently supported the
work of the Instituteand Christmas at Sea in particular.
Although not a knitter herself, she loved the beauty of
the finished garments and remarked on the impressive
dedication of all the Institutes stitchers. Samantha knew
a thing or two about dedication.
Samantha enjoyed telling people about SCI and what
the organizations services mean to mariners. In 2014, she
chaired SCIs Christmas at Sea Gala in New York; and the
year before, she helped co-host SCIs Pilot Boat Harbor
Cruise. Because Samantha took the time to understand
minute details, she served as one of the Institutes
greatest ambassadors. More people need to know about
this, she would often say, and she would make sure
people did.
When Samantha passed away in December 2014, she left
a void among leadership. Samantha brought many to the
cause and helped raise awareness of the important work
of mariners. SCI wanted to pay a fitting tribute to its
dynamic cheerleader.

A Tailor-Made Cowl for Mariners

Designed by knitwear designer Deborah Newton, the
Samantha Cowl incorporates three traditional gansey
elements. It fits close to the neck, allowing freedom of
movement, and because it has no loose ends,
wearers have nothing to tuck into their coats.
Knit in merino wool, it naturally wicks away
moisture, while remaining breathable, so it
doesnt become stifling when enjoying outdoor
winter activities.

Above: Samantha C. Smith, former

Board member and ardent supporter
of SCI. Right: The Samantha Cowl,
a cowl pattern inspired by seafarers
and Block Island from SCI, North
Light Fibers and knitwear designer
Deborah Newton

6 The Seamens Church Institute

Contributors can obtain kits

(a project ditty bag containing
1 skein of Ocean Avenue
yarn and the pattern) through
Christmas at Sea for a suggested
donation of $75. Knitters can
obtain pattern for a suggested
donation of $25. Email
cas@seamenschurch.org for
more information.
The Lookout

Spring 2016

all hands on deck

/ awl handz awn dek / phrase an
order, on board ship, for all seamen of all
watches to muster on deck immediately;
normally shortened to All hands
(Source: Wiktionary)

Mariners use their hands to do a lot on board

a ship. They tie lines, operate machinery,
swab decks, fill out forms and many other
tasks that make a ship sail. When youve
got loads to do, you need all the hands you
can get.
All hands denotes a time when everybody
works as one. It doesnt take an emergency
to call folks together; it just means everyone
needs to pitch in. So, regardless of rank or
whether a mariner is on duty or not, each
mobilizes for a team effort, for the good of
the entire crew and ship.
Our world could do with more of this kind
of spirit. Wouldnt it be great if when people
needed help, all they had to do was ask for
more hands?

Maritime commerce has really made a mark

on our worldeven the language we use
every day. In fact, most of us use nautical
phrases without realizing it.
Its worth thinking about the foundations of
things. Some hidden perspectives lie right
under noses, waiting to be discovered.

Why I Give

eet Richard T. du Moulin, Chairman of SCIs Board of

Trustees. Rich shares with readers his decision to include
SCI in his estate plans, joining hundreds of others in SCIs
Roper Legacy Society.
Like most people, I prefer not to focus on estate issues
especially my own! But my 2003 yacht race from Hong
Kong to New York forced me to update my will and
make decisions. My wife and I agreed that simply leaving
everything to our kids was not necessarily in their
best interest, and that certain other provisions were
appropriate. We both felt strongly that the Seamens
Church Institute deserved our support, so my updated
will now includes a generous provision for SCI. When
making this decision, I recalled a humorous, but perhaps
meaningful, line from an old movie: Being of sound mind
and sound body, I spent all my money before I died. While
not putting that into practice, I sure feel good that at least
I am allocating part of my money to a worthwhile and
enduring institution.
If you have included SCI in your estate
plans, let us know. We would like to thank

Uncover the link between land and sea.

Learn more about how the Seamens Church
Institute (SCI) is helping to strengthen the
connections that tie our world together.

you for your generous commitment to the

future and welcome you to SCIs Roper
Legacy Society. To learn more, visit us online
at http://seamenschurch.org/planned-giving.

seamenschurch.org

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Spring 2016 7

THE SEAMENS CHURCH INSTITUTE

SCI

NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT #99
NEW HAVEN, CT

The Seamens Church Institute

50 Broadway, Floor 26
New York, NY 10004

SCI CENTERS: Port Newark, Paducah, Houston

seamenschurch.org
Ways to Give to SCI


Use the envelope in this
edition of The Lookout or mail
your check to TheSeamens
Church Institute,
50 Broadway, Floor 26,
New York, NY 10004.

Support the people who deliver the

goods that make our modern way
of life possible.


Call 212-349-9090 and make
a contribution over the phone
with your credit card.

Donate
Remember:
Many companies match employee
donations to eligible nonprofits.
Ask your employer about
increasing the value of your gift
to support mariners.

Sponsor

SCI provides prominent recognition to

its underwriters. Become a corporate
sponsor and link your companys
philanthropy with North Americas

Donate online at
donate.seamenschurch.org. largest and most comprehensive
mariners serviceagency.

The 39th Annual Silver Bell Awards Dinner

Thursday, June 9, 2016
Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers, New York, NY
The Maritime Connection: Linking Each and Every One of Us
2016 HONOREES
Joseph H. Pyne, Chairman, Kirby Corporation
Silver Bell Award
The Italian Navy and Coast Guard
The Hellenic Coast Guard
Lifesaving Award
Cocktail Hour 6:00 7:00 pm
Dinner 7:30 pm
For more information and to register,
visit http://seamenschurch.org/sba.
8 The Seamens Church Institute

Volunteer
SCI offers many ways volunteers
can contribute to the work of
the Institute. Call one of our
centers or email volunteer@
seamenschurch.org.

Collect
In addition to handknit scarves
and hats, SCIs Christmastime gift
to mariners includes items found
at most ordinary supermarkets
donated by people like you. To
find out more, contact cas@
seamenschurch.org or visit
ourwebsite.

Follow

Go to http://facebook.com/
seamenschurch and
clicklike.
Follow @seamenschurch
on Twitter.
Check out our photos
at http://www.flickr.com/
photos/seamenschurch.
And, watch videos from our
work at http://vimeo.com/
channels/scitv.
Remember SCI in your estate
plans. Email legacygiving@
seamenschurch.org for more
information.

Pilot Boat
Harbor Cruise

SCI Mountain
Challenge 2017

Maritime Training
Benefit Luncheon

A test of endurance inspired

by mariners

September 13, 2016

New York, NY

October 13, 2016

Houston, TX

The 17th Annual

River Bell
Awards Luncheon

September 28
October 1, 2017

Sign up to receive
information and get first
dibs on one of the coveted
team slots as they become
available in 2017:
http://smschur.ch/CHAL17

December 8, 2016
Paducah, KY
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Spring 2016