Seafarers charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) yesterday formally launched the Maritime Emergency Fund.

The fund is disbursed as small sums to help seafarers in difficulty,AoS national director Martin Foley said at the launch event on board HQS Wellington in London.

As soon as a local chaplain or ship visitor identifies a need and requests funds, money can be approved and released very quickly, Foley added.

In most cases, these are grants of hundreds of pounds, rather than thousands.

The aim is to provide practical help quickly to relieve pressure on seafarers in times of need. Foley told IHS Maritime that he is seeking sponsors to contribute to the fund and hopes to raise around £10,000 ($17,000) a year.

Sister Marian Davey, of the charity's Felixstowe branch, cited a ship detained in the port of Ipswich with a Russian and Cape Verde crew that had not been paid for several months.

She said the men were short of food and water and had been unable to clean their clothes for a month.

AoS provided money for food, new overalls, gloves, telephone cards, and even rags to clean the engine.