Maritime charity Sailors’ Society has launched an innovative new Sailors ‘virtual boat’ to raise awareness of the sacrifices the world’s 1.5 million sailors make on long journeys.

The name of the virtual boat is Boaty McBoatface and it will set sail for Antwerp from Tilbury on June 17.

The virtual Boaty is visiting locations where Sailors’ Society has port chaplains and ship visitors, such as Cape Town and Odessa.

Seafarers typically spend 270 consecutive days at sea away from their families, and face challenging conditions, loneliness and the threat of piracy.

Boaty will stop in Tilbury to visit Sailors’ Society port chaplain, Frans Sahetapy, who has been providing practical and emotional support to seafarers visiting the port since 2014.

Frans has worked for Sailors’ Society for more than 12 years, giving welfare support to seafarers in a number of global ports.

Stuart Rivers, Sailors’ Society’s Chief Executive Officer said: “Although there is a fun element to Boaty, the message behind it is a more serious one. Seafarers make huge sacrifices to transport 90 per cent of the world’s goods; seeing the distance Boaty travels will highlight how they can face months of isolation.”

The charity has launched the initiative to raise awareness about the sacrifices made by the world’s 1.5 million seafarers.

Those who wish to track the virtual boat’s progress alongside other ‘real’ ships can visit vessel tracking website www.Marine Traffic.com

Other tech initiatives launched by the charity have included two apps to improve seafarers’ welfare.

The Ship Visitor app enables port chaplains and ship visitors to deliver more effective care to the world’s seafarers.

In April, the Society launched its Wellness at Sea app, which puts health and wellbeing at sea in seafarers’ hands.

The app seeks to combat issues such as fatigue, poor mental health and stress, which affect seafarers on a daily basis and can be the difference between safe transit and a major incident.