I’m a marine engineer working offshore — here’s what people don’t tell you
I’m a marine engineer working offshore.
People hear that and imagine a solid, well-organized operation where everything is under control.
Let me tell you what happened recently.
We ran out of food.
Not in a “we’re missing snacks” kind of way.
I mean actual food. Proper meals. Gone.
It started slowly — portions got smaller, fewer options, things just… disappeared from the menu. At first nobody really said anything. You just notice it.
Then one day you go to the mess room and it’s like:
rice, maybe something that used to be chicken, and that’s it.
No fresh stuff. No variety. Nothing.
Turns out resupply got delayed. Offshore logistics, weather, scheduling — whatever the reason, the result is the same: you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere with limited food.
And here’s the thing people don’t understand about offshore life:
You can’t just “go buy something”.
You can’t order delivery.
You can’t even leave.
You are completely dependent on what’s already onboard.
Grown men started actually worrying about meals.
You’d hear people asking “what’s for dinner?” like it suddenly mattered way more than it should.
Morale drops fast when food goes bad.
It sounds stupid until you’re there.
You’re working long hours, in heat, in noise — and food is basically the only small comfort you have during the day.
Take that away, and everything feels heavier.
Some guys started saving food from earlier meals.
Others just stopped expecting anything decent.
And yeah — we’re still doing our jobs like normal. Machinery doesn’t care if you had a proper meal or not.
That’s offshore life.
High salary, serious responsibility… and sometimes you’re sitting there eating plain rice, wondering how this is your reality.
I’m not complaining — just sharing what people don’t see.