I absolutely agree with you. God forbid something happens those letters and screenshots would come back to haunt leadership.
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Old Tar, There seems to be some confusion between Attitude and Behavior. Our attitudes are indellable but fortunately our behavior can be shaped by the sure and certain knowledge that misbehavior will result in the end of our careers. Making allowences for others bad deeds perpetuates the wrong. 95% of know what is right and wrong. Stand up against the 5%. All that is required for evil to succees is for good people to do nothing.
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In the case of a 2nd A/E or 3 A/E it’s far easier and thus more likely that they will say to the 1 A/E (for example) something like 'You had better not let the chief hear you saying that." . That would be seen as just letting them know which way the wind is blowing While a more direct message might be seen as a challenge to the authority of the 1 A/E
The crew’s perception as to which way the wind is blowing aboard ship, that is the culture on board is a big factor in a decision to say or not say something.
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Although happily retired, would have kicked this guys ass and dragged him by whatever hair he had left to next port local law enforcement. I am not a little fellow and albeit a bit weaker in my older age, putty in my hands.
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What’s being discussed here is the first (for example) making remarks such as was alleged here:
" The 1st Assistant Engineer, a man in his 60’s, often made derogatory comments about women and told me early in the trip that “ you should know your place, and it ain’t out here. A woman’s place is in the home .” The 1st was my supervisor and the 2nd in command of the engine department, and I was afraid of him. He was creepy, made romantic passes at me and made crude and demeaning comments about me in front of other members of the engine department."
It’s about power distance - there’s an article about it here:
Now, would John Geddert have stopped the abuse if he knew what was happening behind the scenes? It’s hard to say. One would hope so. But then again, some argue that he must have known something was going on and never said anything. Either way, we’ll never know. No one ever actually told Geddert.
They were too scared. Geddert was the one with all the power. There’s the power that comes with being an older man working with young girls. The power with being bigger, stronger and louder than everyone else. And the power of being placed in a position of authority – the power to make or break the careers of these aspiring athletes who knew he was their ticket to Olympic stardom.
The engine room on the middle east run isn’t fit for man nor beast! It’s a sweltering hell pit! Anyone’s place is anywhere but there! Some of the ships hit 70C down below.
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I know of one situation that was similar. The perpetrator was told by other crew members that the lady was known to carry a knife and had used it in the past. It was half true, she could fillet a fish in her off time in seconds. Problem solved.
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It boils down to if the crew trusts their supervisors to deal successfully with crew problems. As a guess I’d say sailing deep-sea in general there’d be about a 30% chance that the supervisor can deal with crew problems competently.
In the example of the 1 A/E and the chief, if they’d been sailing together for any length of time I’d say the chances of a favorable outcome for the crew making a complaint are close to zero.
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I had to referee a never-ending cat fight at a shore-side job and NOTHING is worse than having women who hate each other in the same office.
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This is the never-ending problem in any hierarchical organization. The #1 guy hired and promoted the #2 guy, the #3 guy, and the #4 guy. You are the n00b and you quickly realize numbers 1-4 are all friends and complaining about any one of them to the one above is de-facto accusing that guy of poor supervision practices and thus by implication the one above him ALSO for hiring and promoting someone who is bad at supervising his underlings and so on up the chain.
The chances of YOU getting shit-canned are infinitely higher than the guys that have been there forever and all know each other.
At least on shore in an organization of any size HR will probably move you laterally just to avoid having to hear any more about it and you aren’t trapped in the building for months.
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In my experience peer pressure can work 1,000 times better than company policy. Some of these guys couldn’t care less about policies and rules, but do care about the respect of their “bro” peers and will respond to a stern email, a stern talking to, or maybe being used as a ground tester for the generator if they think the other MEN will end up hating them.
Then you get the ones that hate everyone anyway…
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if there is a pecking order then its on for young and old with women as they vie for that post.
Like the fighting cows in Switzerland that need to work out who is in charge for summer when they come out of the sheds
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I don’t know if this one’s been reported here yet. But the allegations keep coming forth.
Though this contributor also wishes to stay anonymous, and I’m sure it’s past the point of evidence or civil or criminal prosecution, and they don’t seem to be seeking that, their story is totally believable.
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I wonder if the fact that you use the term “cat fight” and the fact you couldn’t solve the problem are related?
Another animal reference.
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There is no bull among those cows?
My PILOTHOUSE MOTTO was " Boring is Good!". Some though it funny or odd or not adventurous, especially guests, but my retort would be “The next time you fly somewhere do want an exciting, white knuckle trip or do you want to fall asleep?” So true in our business you want NO issues, NONE, nor does your boss.
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It got solved all right, everyone got tired of their shit and one of them magically found an opening 2 floors away and we all lived happily ever after. Not saying I didn’t ask around for a trade and not saying I did 
The problem is in a bro culture, the low-rank males earn points by demeaning or worse any female they can and the women can get permanently trapped at the bottom rung or they just don’t want to put up with caveman bullshit.
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Who cut more heads off, Kings of England or Queens?
Men can live and let live, ( maybe after a fist fight and a beer) but women have no morals so death
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yes but they are happy to work together
If you are ever in Switzerland ask a local if you can go to watch, I dont think it legal so you wont get in as a tourist.