A career at sea requires continuous professional development. Even after obtaining the necessary certificates and qualifications, seafarers must continue learning, preparing for inspections, adapting to new equipment and understanding the real situations they may encounter onboard.

At the same time, useful information for maritime professionals is often scattered across different websites, groups and training resources. Seafarers may have to use one platform for maritime tests, another to search for information about vessels, and still have no safe or convenient way to report a serious problem onboard.

GYRO Team is an independent international digital platform and mobile app for seafarers designed to bring learning, professional experience, mutual support and safety tools together in one place.

Available on iOS, Android and the web, GYRO continues to develop alongside the international maritime community.

Maritime Tests and Practical Knowledge

One of GYRO’s main areas of focus is helping seafarers assess and strengthen their professional knowledge.

Through the app, users can complete maritime tests online, choose content based on their rank, vessel type or professional area, and practise with practical questions and CES-style exercises.

Seafarers can train independently or compete live in one-on-one challenges against other users. This format turns a standard knowledge check into an interactive competition and helps maintain motivation for continuous learning.

Content on the platform is developed with input from seafarers, maritime educators and industry professionals who share their knowledge and practical experience.

GYRO does not replace formal maritime education, approved training or professional certification. It is a supplementary self-study tool that helps users revise essential topics, check their current level of knowledge and identify areas that require further attention.

Turning Knowledge into Rewards

GYRO aims not only to support maritime learning but also to reward users for their knowledge and activity.

Seafarers can earn internal points called Knots (KN) by completing tests, answering questions correctly, participating in live competitions and engaging with the platform.

The accumulated Knots can be used through Knot Exchange to unlock special partner offers, bonuses and discounts available to GYRO users.

This approach makes professional development both useful and rewarding. Seafarers can improve their knowledge, compete with colleagues worldwide and gain access to additional opportunities within the platform.

Real Ship Reviews from Seafarers

Before accepting a contract, a seafarer will usually receive basic information about a vessel: its technical specifications, flag, year of construction and the proposed salary.

However, these details reveal very little about what everyday life onboard is actually like.

What is the atmosphere among the crew? What is the real condition of the vessel? How does shore management communicate with seafarers? Are crew changes completed on time? What are the accommodation, food and working conditions like?

To make this information more accessible, GYRO has developed Ship Reviews, an independent international vessel review system built around the experiences of seafarers.

Users can search for vessels by name or IMO number, read feedback from other maritime professionals and share their own experience of working onboard. Reviews may be published under a user profile or anonymously.

The purpose of Ship Reviews is not to create blacklists or encourage unsupported criticism of companies. Its objective is to contribute to a more transparent maritime industry, where seafarers can access relevant information before making an important career decision.

The more seafarers share honest and responsible feedback, the more useful and representative the ship review database becomes.

Confidential Reporting of Problems Onboard

Seafarers are often the first people to notice unsafe conditions, technical problems, procedural violations, excessive fatigue, bullying, discrimination or unfair treatment onboard.

However, finding a safe and confidential way to raise these concerns can be difficult.

For this reason, GYRO is developing a confidential reporting system for seafarers. Through the app, users can describe what happened, identify the vessel by its IMO number, attach photographs or documents and submit the information to a relevant independent organisation.

Reports can be submitted anonymously when the user prefers not to disclose their identity. The reporting function is free to use and does not require a subscription.

Reports may concern:

• unsafe conditions, actions or procedures;
• technical defects and maintenance problems;
• excessive fatigue or insufficient rest;
• bullying, harassment or discrimination;
• accommodation, food, hygiene or welfare concerns;
• employment, contract or wage-related problems;
• pollution and other environmental concerns;
• near misses and events that could have caused injury or damage.

Every responsible report can help identify unsafe patterns and potentially prevent a more serious incident in the future.

A Platform Developing Together with Seafarers

GYRO continues to expand its international audience while adding new maritime tests, partner offers, ship reviews and professional development opportunities.

Seafarers, captains, officers, educators, training centres, maritime organisations and companies that care about the industry’s future are invited to contribute to the platform’s development.

Some users may join to assess their professional knowledge. Others may contribute educational content, share an honest ship review or report a serious situation that should not remain unnoticed.

Each of these actions can contribute to a stronger, better-informed and more responsible international maritime community.

Learn. Test your knowledge. Share your experience. Speak up about problems.

To learn more and download the mobile app for seafarers, visit the official GYRO.Team website.