Mission helps stranded sailors experience a little Christmas joy 

A pair of international vessels are stuck in Halifax this winter. Normally, the combined crews of about 100 would be at sea this time of the year. Now, they’re preparing for a holiday on land.

The ships are called Symphony and Connector. Both vessels are offshore supply ships and are registered out of Luxembourg. The Connector has a crew of about 65 and Symphony has about 40. The Mission to Seafarers’ volunteer ship welfare associate, Glenn Taylor, has visited both ships to discuss what can make their stay for the holidays more festive.

“That’s all we’re interested in, is if we can help to make your time in port a little more fun,” Taylor told Arndt Garnholz, second mate of Symphony. 

On board the Symphony, Taylor described some of the arrangements being made for the Connector’s crew, who want to have soccer games and go curling. 

The captain even asked about getting a real Christmas tree.

“I talked to a Christmas tree lot fellow,” said Taylor. “He’d have to purchase it, but I can bring it down.”

“Personally, I like to be on the project working,” said Garnholz, who is from Germany. Most of the crew isn’t from Nova Scotia. Still, the crew is finding time to enjoy the city.

“It’s nice. Usually, we are not staying so long in port.”

Back at The Mission, Aaron Banag, a sailor from the MOL Experience, came by to play pool with his shipmates.

“They have some good people,” Banag said about his time in Halifax. “Especially here. Very excellent and accommodating to our crew.”

The Mission to Seafarers has supported sailors during the holidays longer than any current volunteer can remember. Every year, they put together holiday shoeboxes to deliver during December. It’s full of essentials like tuques and scarves, bathroom products and fun things, too, like candies and souvenirs.

Mission manager Helen Glenn has been working at the mission for 13 years. She says the holiday shoebox program could be at least 50 years old.

“We visit every ship that we can when we can,” said Glenn.

The Symphony and Connector have already been in Halifax for more than a month. The crews are waiting for parts to be delivered for their next assignment in Massachusetts. This means they’ll be staying in Halifax until mid-January. For now, said Garnholz, they are “standing by.”

Last year, the mission handed out more than 1,200 shoeboxes and estimates a similar number for this year.

They make sure each box is nearly identical so there are no hard feelings between officers and crew members.

While their situation is unusual, crews aboard Symphony and Connector will receive the same shoeboxes as any other ship to stop in Halifax this month — except they might be the only ones opening them under a Christmas tree.