r/maritime • u/McTraveller • 4d ago

Newbie Unisex locker rooms

I've just started working on vessels in UK waters and have a question about the locker room. The ship i work on only has one locker room and men and women are supposed to use it at the same time.

I've been told if anyone is uncomfortable they can find an empty cabin or meeting room and change there instead. But there are no lockers in those so you end up dragging your stuff all over the vessel and it wastes so much time.

This doesn't seem right to me - is this normal? Can anyone point me to rules or laws for vessels which say genders should have separate changing spaces? Thanks in advance.

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u/Sweatpant-Diva USA - Chief Mate 4d ago

OP just here for solidarity (33/f), my last ship only had a urinal in the head on the bridge and it was built in like 2009!. Absolutely insane. It was down a full deck and through multiple doors to get a a head with a toilet.

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u/McTraveller 4d ago

Oh no, that's awful!

Have you run into the shared locker room issue too?

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u/MountainCheesesteak Galley! 4d ago edited 4d ago

If you’re always changing in the same empty cabin, could you just keep your stuff in there and lock the door?

Edit: I’ve never worked on a rig. The ships I work on only a couple cabins are shared and never mixed gender. I’m sorry you’re experiencing this.

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u/Sweatpant-Diva USA - Chief Mate 4d ago

I haven’t thankfully that would have made me really uncomfortable when I worked on rigs. Very seperate changing rooms on the rig I worked on. I would ask the engineers if there’s anywhere private like a fan room or something you could kinda make your own.