Crew Rights Compass Guides
The Crew Rights & Welfare Handbook
Your contract, pay, rest and health at sea.
A plain-language guide for crew who want to understand the questions to ask, the records to keep and the organisations that may be able to help: a practical reference you can return to throughout a contract.
36-page PDF • 7 worksheets included · Reader edition 1.0
Price: USD 19 one-time payment, no subscription
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Independent maritime legal review of this edition has not been completed. It is general education, not legal advice.
What this guide helps you do
- Know which questions to ask about a contract and pay.
- Keep clearer records of work, rest and important events.
- Prepare questions about sickness, injury and support.
- Find official routes for complaints and professional advice.
For working and aspiring crew in every department, and families preparing for a first contract.
When you need more than a book
If you have an urgent medical problem, a personal legal question, a possible claim deadline or documents you are being asked to sign, seek help now rather than reading first.
Get help nowRead a free sample
Real pages from Reader edition 1.0. Select an image to view it larger, or open the five-page sample PDF.
View larger imagePage 11: a clarification message about pay, and the start of chapter 4, 'Understand and check your pay'. 
View larger imagePage 29: the printable pay reconciliation record.
Free sample: five selected pages (PDF)
The sample PDF contains selectable, readable text and is marked "Free sample - selected pages". It is not the complete book.
The Crew Rights & Welfare Handbook
Contents
Ten short chapters and 7 printable worksheets, all within the 36-page PDF.
Chapter list
- Protections at sea
- Recruitment checks
- Employment agreements
- Pay
- Work, rest and leave
- Sickness and injury
- Wellbeing and harassment
- Complaints and records
- Repatriation and contract endings
- Cruise and concession considerations
The 7 printable worksheets
Joining and contract checklists, a pay reconciliation record, a work and rest log and a document index, among others. They are printable pages for your own files, not digital forms.
Scope: the handbook explains the international framework, mainly the Maritime Labour Convention, as a starting point. That framework does not apply in the same way to every vessel; your position may depend on national law, the ship's flag, your agreement and any collective agreement.
Author, sources and edition
Written by Dr. Ezekiel Aluda Osolika, a Kenyan physician with shipboard, expedition, emergency and aeromedical experience. He is a physician, not a lawyer.
The handbook includes numbered source notes to primary references such as the consolidated Maritime Labour Convention text, and checked links to official support organisations.
- Edition
- Reader edition 1.0, 20 October 2026
- Format
- 36-page PDF; seven printable worksheets included within the book
- Legal review
- Independent maritime legal review has not been completed.
Delivery, updates and refunds
- Checkout and delivery of the PDF are handled by Gumroad. The worksheets are printable pages inside the PDF; this is a digital book, not a printed copy.
- One payment in USD, no subscription. The edition and date are printed in the book.
- Problem with a download or an order? Email ezekiel@theshipdoctor.com with the product title and your Gumroad order reference. See orders, updates and refunds.
Questions
Is this legal advice?
No. It is an educational guide. A qualified adviser can explain how the law applies to your circumstances. Independent maritime legal review of this edition has not been completed.
Does it cover every country and ship?
No. It explains a general framework and identifies where country, flag-state, vessel and contract differences matter.
What do I receive?
One PDF file, Reader edition 1.0, 36 pages. The 7 worksheets are printable pages inside the PDF; they are not fillable forms or extra products. There is no EPUB or printed copy.
Can I read it without internet?
Once the PDF is saved on your device, you can read it offline. Linked external resources need an internet connection.
Does buying it help me get a job or a settlement?
No. Purchases are separate from the careers links and help routes, which stay free. No employment or legal outcome is promised.
Who do I contact about my order?
Email ezekiel@theshipdoctor.com with the product title and your Gumroad order reference. Never send payment-card details by email. See orders, updates and refunds.
The Crew Rights & Welfare Handbook