May 16, 2023
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Madeleine Wolczko, the primary navigator and second officer of the 277-meter long cargo ship named President Wilson, has been cataloging the lives of crew members as they have been trapped for over months in Shanghai. The Seattle Times had reached out to Wolczko during a bout of her homesickness for California.
The 30-member crew of the Wilson has remained stranded in Shanghai since the beginning of February, unable to leave the cargo vessel to visit the dock owing to stringent COVID-19 measures. The measures slowed repairs to the vessel and, without these repairs done, Chinese officials would not permit them to leave.
Wolczko’s video of what it feels like to be locked down on a cargo vessel in a series dubbed Restricted to Ship is worth a watch. In the most recent episode, the crew members have spoken about their everyday duties like fetching vegetable rations dropped by the China government, giving one another haircuts, and taking PCR tests.
The crew has been hopeful that by the time this episode is posted, they may be underway. Some work crew members had returned in teams of 50 instead of 500, and there are discussions going on regarding returning home soon.
The crew members of President Wilson are not alone. In the most recent episode, Wolczko is seen waving to the crew of the Stardust, a vessel that is similarly stranded. She has observed other ships in the yard had not seen any work crew members at all so far, highlighting backups.
Reference: jalopnik.com | Video Credits: Madeleine Wolczko – YouTube
The Marine Learners does not own the rights to the video.
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