A 31-year-old captain from Oldham has been awarded one of the maritime industry's highest honours for encouraging millions of young people to consider a career at sea.

Captain Joe Furness is among eleven seafarers recognised with the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service on 3 September 2026. The award honours those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

Captain Furness has built a following through his social media channel, JoeTheSailor, where he introduces shipping to audiences who may know little about it. He has also mentored more than 100 cadets and junior officers entering the industry. He first became interested in a life at sea through film.

His work has not been limited to teaching. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, 10 passengers on his ship developed the virus at a time when medical support was limited. His care for those on board led to an award from the Hong Kong Government.

Captain Furness said: "It's an incredible honour to be recognised and a genuinely humbling surprise. My main focus has always been to open up our world to people who don't know much about shipping and to make sure new cadets feel supported."

He added: "Having that education and mentoring work recognised at this level is amazing. It's a huge privilege to represent the modern Merchant Navy."

Others receiving the medal include Captain Martel Fursdon, who became the first female captain in The Lundy Company's history. She has campaigned for safer and more inclusive working conditions at sea, set up a mentoring network for women moving up the ranks, and rewrote safety guidance across 15 ships. She also helped with the mass repatriation of stranded seafarers in the early days of the pandemic.

Captain Fursdon said she was "incredibly touched, honoured and still somewhat in disbelief" at the award, adding that as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry it meant even more to her.

Captain Brian Nibbs, 87, from Jersey, is recognised for voluntary work with maritime charities after a career spanning 5 decades. This includes support for the families affected by the L'Ecume II boating fatality, in which three fishermen died off the coast of Jersey in 2022. He first went to sea with Ellerman Lines in 1955, later served as Harbour Master of Jersey from 1997 until his retirement in 2004, and has continued to give his time to charities across the island.

Maritime Minister Keir Mather said the recipients represented "the very best of the maritime sector", and thanked seafarers across the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets for keeping the economy moving and supporting coastal communities.

Stuart Rivers, chief executive of the Merchant Navy Welfare Board, said this year's eleven recipients had gone above and beyond the call of duty, and thanked them for their service.

Medals will be presented at a state ceremony later in the year. Merchant Navy Day celebrates the contribution of the UK's merchant seafarers, who crew commercial ships carrying passengers and goods around the world and who can be called on to support the country in times of crisis or conflict.