Knowledge is safety at sea

Every accident report has a chapter about communication. A seafarer who understands and is understood is a safer seafarer. That is why this site exists.

Who makes this

My name is Łukasz J. Skrzypczak. I started in 1995 with a chipping hammer in my hand and salt on my face, and spent 19 years at sea: ordinary seaman, able seaman, bosun, officer, and finally Chief Officer. I hold a Master Mariner licence; I came ashore before my first command and moved to the office side of shipping. Since 2014 I have worked in crew management, placing seafarers on European vessels and reading English test results from the other side of the desk.

I have seen good sailors lose contracts over a test score, and I have seen what happens on board when the bridge and the deck do not share a language. Both problems have the same fix: practical English, taught the way ships actually use it.

The mission

SeamanEnglish promotes the seafaring profession internationally and raises the standard of maritime English, because language competence is not paperwork: it is a safety barrier, the same as a helmet or a harness. The IMO created Standard Marine Communication Phrases for exactly this reason. When your English is strong, you work safer, you sign better contracts, and you come home to your family.

How the site works

• The free English check and the guides are open to every seafarer, everywhere.
• Advanced practice tools, full mock tests with audio and progress tracking will be paid. That income keeps the free part alive and growing, with no clickbait and no selling of anyone's data.
• Everything here is original material. We never reproduce real exam questions, and we are not affiliated with any test provider.

Contact

The fastest way to reach me is LinkedIn. I read everything, especially messages from seafarers about what they need next.