Melbourne's Mission to Seafarers, which provides a social hub, religious support, and a link to home when in port for sailors, says it is increasingly dealing with issues around isolation and depression.
Andrea Fleming, CEO of Melbourne's Mission to Seafarers, said the multicultural nature of seafaring today could be isolating for sailors.
"Ten years ago we didn't see so many Chinese crews through here, more so now we are and often their English is very minimal," she said.
"So if you have two Chinese crew on a ship with an English-speaking Filipino crew, they can feel particularly isolated."
Australian ports receive more than 27,000 ship visits every year, with the majority of crews arriving from developing countries, most from the Philippines and others from China and India.
The majority of visiting seafarers come from developing countries - SBS Source: SBS
Tight turnarounds mean less time ashore
Last century, when crews spent weeks in port, the mission organised dances, picnics, wrestling matches and trips to the country.
But now, sailors sometimes are in port for just a few hours.
Seafarer Jose Azada Chua II has stopped at the Mission on a brief visit to Melbourne, after four-and-a-half months at sea.
He'll be back on-board tonight, headed for New Zealand. Once, he didn't touch dry land for a year and eight months, he said
"Most of the time, it is a hard life, especially when there is an incident or a breakdown in the machinery.
"Every day, even before I sleep, I'm always thinking of tomorrow, the next day."
The tight turnarounds mean sometimes crews don't even get off the ship, the mission explained.
Seafarer Jose Azada Chua II - SBS Source: SBS
Its Filipino Chaplain, known to everyone as "Inni," goes on board to offer spiritual support and counselling.
He said marriage breakdown was a common theme.
"One seafarer told me, 'all my work has been worthless,' because my wife left me."
Nigel Porteous, the mission's vice-chairman, former seafarer, said many sailors had limited communication with their family when at sea.
He said he had witnessed sailors see their baby for the first time on Skype at the mission.
"That happens quite regularly."
Suicide a major concern
Nigel Porteous told SBS suicide had become a big problem.
"The shipping industry is quoted as being the second highest industry for suicides now," he said.
"All of the agencies and all of the support groups around the world are working to combat this, wherever we can."
The mission is expanding its outreach program, training a Chinese-speaking chaplain and more volunteers to do ship visits.
It's also working with mental-health organisation Beyond Blue to train volunteers in suicide prevention.
Nigel Porteous said he would like to extend the mission's reach to the expanding cruise industry.
"Those ships have a thousand, 1500 crewmen, and those people don't get off the ship very often at all, he said.
