CREW of Iuventa
The Iuventa was operated by more than 200 volunteers. Many spent their annual leave, nobody was paid. Being part of the crew meant two weeks at sea or working your ass off at the shipyard. For the most of us, the whole seafaring world was completely unknown territory.
Many spent their annual leave on board the ship. Nobody was paid. Only travel expenses were reimbursed; room and board were provided on Malta and on the ship. Half of the crew were professional sailors; the others had little to no experience at sea but made up crucial non-nautical personnel on board: the deck manager organized crowd management while rescued people were on board; aided by a medic, the doctor on board maintained an overview of the medical condition of both the crew and the people rescued, providing treatment when necessary. Below deck, the engineers operated the ship’s main engine, generators, pumps, compressors, the crane and winches.
But the crew was more than just the people on board! It included the thousands of donors who made Iuventa’s missions possible by covering the ship’s maintenance costs, as well as travel, food, and accommodation for the crew on land.
Alongside that support, donors, family, friends and comrades took the struggle to the streets, to university campuses, to churches and to workplaces — campaigning against the mass deaths in the Mediterranean.
The Iuventa ran on a rotating volunteer crew of around 15 people per mission, organised into clearly defined roles that covered every aspect of the operation — from navigation and engineering to rescue coordination and medical care.
Nautical positions / regular ship's operation: master | chief mate | 2nd mate | chief engineer | 2nd engineer | electrician | bosun
Search And Rescue (SAR) positions: HOM | Deck Manager | RIB Driver | RIB Leader | RIB Mediator | Lilli driver | Lilli Leader | Doctor | Medic
On the bridge: The Master held overall responsibility for the vessel, crew safety and all nautical decisions, working in close collaboration with the Head of Mission. The Chief Mate managed deck operations, safety training and watch-keeping. Two further mates shared navigational duties across three rotating shifts.
In the engine room: The Chief Engineer and 2nd Engineer maintained the main and RhIB engine, generators, pumps and cranes — the systems that kept the ship operational. An electrician handled the ship's electrical and IT infrastructure across bridge, engine room and rescue boats.
On deck: The Bosun coordinated maintenance, from toilette-seat to robs and fender. The Deck Manager coordinated the crew members who, regardless of their primary role, participated in: launching rescue boats, helping people aboard, distributing food and water, assisting the medical team.
On the rescue boats: The Iuventa operated two fast rescue boats — the main RHIB, crewed by a driver, a team leader and a mediator. The smaller tender instead had to handle all tasks with just two people. The driver handled all nautical decisions on scene. The team leader coordinated operations, maintained communication with the Head of Mission, and provided first aid. The mediator made first contact with people in distress — informing, handing out life jackets, gathering information.
The Head of Mission coordinated all departments simultaneously during rescue operations — bridge, deck, rescue boats, medical team — responsible for operational strategy, crew safety, and the safety of everyone rescued. Every tactical decision on scene ran through this role.
Medical team: A doctor and medic ran the ship's hospital, performed triage during embarkations, treated injuries and medical emergencies, and trained the rest of the crew in first aid. The conditions they worked in — hypothermia, fuel burns, trauma, respiratory failure — are documented in the medical emergencies section.