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Abu Dhabi: Twenty kilometres off the coast of Fujairah, in the Indian Ocean, hundreds of vessels carrying everything from oil to cargo anchor for weeks while they wait for service or supply before they carry on with their journey.
The seafarers onboard sometimes don't get to be on land for as long as nine months and their life on the vessels can be lonely and isolated.
Hundreds of such stories propelled one man on an unprecedented vision: to build a ship that sails into the waters providing some basic needs for the seafarers at minimal cost.
Three years and Dh3.5 million later, Stephen Miller's vision became a reality. Gulf News joined Miller and the crew onboard the Flying Angel for a glimpse into the business of helping people.
"Good morning control tower, this is Flying Angel. Permission to leave the port?" captain Cristoforus Salindeho radioed in. He waited for clearance and then started the engines with a contagious smile that rubs off on his crew as Miller, director of Mission to Seafarer's, stands like a proud father watching his vision fulfilled.
Salindeho is an Indonesian who left his family and home to work in the UAE. Miller's love for the sea started at a young age. "I was born and raised by the sea," the Briton said. After a career as a parish priest at the Anglican Church, Miller's love for the sea made him join the arm of the Anglican church that looks after the wellbeing of seafarers. The Mission to Seafarers was started in England in 1856, with a base in the Gulf since 1962.
In 2002, Miller was appointed as Chaplain of the Mission in Dubai. The Mission raised funds for a motor vessel and in December 2006, a 27m vessel was a home in the Fujairah Port.
Four laptops, three satellite phones, hundreds of bestselling books free of charge, a store with everything from chips to personal DVD players and movies, are just a few of the amenities available for seafarers. To many of the seafarers, Miller is also a counselor. "They sometimes just need someone to speak with who is detached from their work," Miller said.
It costs about $750 (about Dh2,755) every time the Angel goes to the sea.
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