Professional practices, collective dynamics, and psychosocial aspects of sailors on a French warship

Background Warship crews live and work for extended periods in confined spaces, separated from their families and exposed to high operational demands. While psychosocial risks in naval and maritime work are increasingly documented, little is known about how sailors collectively organize, regulate, and adapt their daily activity aboard combat vessels. To our knowledge, no psychological study has documented collective activity in situ aboard a French warship. Objective Document sailors’ professional practices, collective dynamics, and psychosocial aspects in situ during an eight-day embarkation aboard a French multi-mission frigate. Method This is a descriptive and qualitative study, of the experience report type, carried out in March 2026 during an eight-day embarkation aboard a French Navy European Multi-Mission Frigate taking part in a high-intensity exercise in the Atlantic. Data were collected through unstructured participant observation, from an observer-as-participant position. Inductive analysis drew on grounded theory and work psychology literature. Results Three mechanisms emerged. First, rank-based messes provided spaces for peer interaction, informal regulation, and the expression of tensions. Second, sailors used situational leeway to adapt their activity to operational constraints and develop practical solutions. Third, interactions between experienced and less experienced sailors supported the transmission of knowledge, practices, and norms, contributing to collective memory and professional continuity. Conclusion These findings illustrate how professional practices, collective dynamics, and psychosocial aspects are intertwined in sailors’ daily activity aboard a French warship. Informal collective spaces, opportunities to adapt work activity, and the transmission of the professional genre between experienced sailors and newcomers support professional activity.