Blind Pilotage

Everyday is a learning day for me. Not a single day goes by where I haven't learnt something new. 20 years could go by and I would still be learning about new stuff and new ways of doing things. The latest new experience I have had was so amazing! I was the pilot and got to con the Arahura in through Tory Channel Entrance all the way up to Picton. Solo, on my own and I wasn't allowed to use any navigational equipment. It all had to be done by sight and senses. Of course the Master was on the bridge for ticket exemption purposes and company regulations. I had to stand in front of the conning area on the bridge which is in front of the radars and navigation equipment. All piloting and navigation had to be done by sight. It was so awesome! Talk about an adrenalin rush and get your heart pumping. The Captain said to me 'Right get out the front you are doing this now, Blind Pilotage!' It would have to have been the best experience I have had on watch on this ship so far. Talk about being thrown in the deep end head first with no floaties to keep me afloat.
Well after this I am pleased to say that it went really well. The Captain and Mate were impressed with how I did it for my first time. I had only been on board for a week and hadn't done any pilotage work at all on this ship. I had memorized everything from my last ship, the Aratere, and made some fine adjustments to the helm orders. The Captain came up to me afterwards and said that I need to get a photo of myself conning the ship so that I can send it to my Dad because he would be so proud of me seeing what I do.

Motion of seasickness put into perspective

Have you ever wondered why passengers seem to get sea sick more than the Officers navigating on the bridge of the ship? Or why passengers in the back seat of a car are more prone to chunder? I took me a while to realise this but I have finally found out that most people like to have a sense of direction of knowing where they are going. From the bridge we can see what is actually going on and predict the movement of the vessel from observing the approaching sea conditions. So for a passenger who is indoors all they know is that the vessel I rolling around and their head then starts to signal to them that something isn't right. I bought a passenger up to the bridge one day who suffers from real bad sea sickness. She said that she has never been on board a boat or ship before and not been sick. This lady did the whole voyage across from one port to the other on the bridge and didn't feel the slightest urge of sea sickness. Being on the bridge of the ship she could see where we were going and what we expecting to encounter, wind gusts, sea waves and long swell waves. We sometimes get like this in life as well. If we can't see where we are heading or have no sense of direction we start to feel a bit sick. It's just a matter of opening up your eyes and looking forward to what is in front of you instead of down at the inside of a white paper bag.

Life in the Sounds

Marine life in Queen Charlotte Sound is just incredible during spring time and the summer seasons. Seeing dolphins is a regular occurrence and whales are an added bonus. Bird life is encountered all year round, the only variation being bird species.
You think that dolphins are just creatures like any other marine life t sea, but from personal experience they are must more than this. There is something about seeing a dolphin when you are on watch and at sea that brings a sense of contentment and makes you smile. The beauty of creatures gracefully enjoying life at sea, riding the bow waves of ships or trailing behind in the wake left behind. One of the only creatures that can change your mood if you are feeling down or in the dumps. They have a way of coming to the surface when we most need to be saved and cheered up. At first I thought this was just something that I encounter when I am at sea, but after sharing this with many people I have found out that over 30 other seafarers that I know experience this as well. So as you can see I don't just like working on a ship for the job and the pleasure that it brings, I do it to see the dolphins.

Gourmet Cuisine and Rest

How many people do you have to cook for in your house hold? Two or three, maybe 5 if you have children. Do you ever complain about not having enough bench space in your kitchen? Or too many mouths to feed when friends and family come around? I bet you have had one of those days where you don't feel like cooking anymore so you order takeaways. Am I right? Of course!
Living and working on a ship we aren't able to do that. All our food is provided for us. We have highly qualified chefs who live and work on board the ships with us, cooking meals four times a day non-stop. If a ship is tied up for lay-by (not sailing) then most crew get shore leave. This isn't the case for the cooks. If they go ashore we don't eat. If they stop working we stop eating, and then if we stop eating then we stop working. It goes round and round ending up with the ship not sailing.A ship funnily enough moves around quite a bit when she is at sea so sometimes this can make cooking in the galley (ship's kitchen) very difficult. There are usually 2 or 3 cooks on a ship who all have to work in the same small area and walk around cautiously when the seas get choppy. So next time you have a party at home and are complaining about having to feed so many people just take a minute to think about he cooks on ships who have to cook for 40-50 crew members four times a day. For some reason your party will seem just that much easier.

I am just not understanding, How?

Have you ever tried to understand something that just isn’t making sense? Most of us have experienced this at least once in our life. Whether it is an English exam in high school or working out how plants grow upwards and ships float on water, we all have the ‘how’ question in the back of our minds. How does this happen? How does it do that? We like to find out everything we can in life, like how things work, but to be honest we will never in our lifetime find out about everything. Some things we created not to be worked out. Like the TV commercial about the little girl that asks her father where babies come from, children don’t learn about this until they are in the high school years in health classes. There is a time and place where things are to be known. No point in trying to work it all out now. You can only absorb as much as the sponge will let you. Any excess and it will just leak back out. Don't spend nights laying on your bed looking out the window trying to work out how the stars stay up in the sky and don't fall down to earth. He created everything for a reason some of which we will never know.
So pace yourself! Keep being observant and learning as much as you can but don’t forget to take time out to let it all sink in. Your brain doesn't have the capacity space to store the entire knowledge of the world and creation. If you want to know anything just open up the book. :-)

Chasing the wind

Sometimes my life feels like I am chasing the wind. Which direction am I to go in now? Am I supposed to turn now or continue on? Strong gusts come at times when I least expect them then they are usually followed by long periods of lulls. Storms come and they are usually ok when you are in the eye of the storm as this gives you a short period of time to re-gain the strength to get through the other side. But when squalls of thunder come they usually bring with them lightning which came seem quite frightening. You get tossed about to and fro, don't know if you will make it or this may be the end, you then think will it ever stop?
There are many times in our lives where we may feel like we are chasing the wind. Everything we do and every direction we turn in is like we just keep chasing our tales, just meaningless. What ever direction you are going in if you have faith in where you are heading and trust yourself to follow you gut instinct then no matter how strong the winds get you will get through to the calm spots. If ever you are in a situation and can’t see a way out think about someone who is chasing the wind. Chasing the wind is meaningless but if you have faith in where you are heading you will get there in the end.

Imitating

Have you ever noticed how a child learns to walk or attempts to use a spoon themselves for the first time? Or maybe even just sat in the park and watched the children as they play on the playground and in the sand pit. I know this probably sounds a bit wrong but if you do this with people who have children there then it is ok. It is quite fascinating watching children as they observe how others do various things and then attempt to try them for themselves.
Just like little children growing up, adults spend their entire lives doing the same. Whether it be learning and doing or watching and imitating, we all spend our lives copying and imitating how to do things from the ones around us. You may think feel intimidated having someone watch you and then copy what you do. Don’t feel that way at all. Instead feel blessed that what you are doing is inspiring others around you. Do what you do well because you never know who might we watching and learning from you.

Loneliness is just a state of mind

Question: How do you cope being away from family?

I recently just caught up with a Mate from 4 years ago where the topic of one conversation was based on loneliness. Do seafarers get lonely? How do you keep yourself sane without becoming depressed? What helps to pass time on ship? And can you cope with being away from loved ones? So many questions and many answers would normally be given. In my case recently over the last 3 months I am able to answer these questions without thinking to myself, where am I going in life? Why am I working at sea and taking myself away from the people who I love, it just doesn’t make sense. When you have a passion about something and work hard to get there nothing else around you really matters. The whole world could sink beneath the ocean and it wouldn’t be noticed by those who have a passion for their work.
Loneliness is just a state of mind that comes when you have no hope. Hope gives you something to look forward to and focus on. It is very easy to become lonely on a ship when you start to stick to yourself and avoid any social interaction. There are three keys to avoiding loneliness on a ship. 1.) Be sure of yourself. You have to like who you are as a person before you take a job on a deep sea ship. Because there will come a time when you are the only one you have a conversation with, if you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see then you have lost your first best friend. 2.) Have hope. You need something to look forward to which give you the desire and motivation to achieve greater things. And last of all 3.) Smile and be happy. All of these sound simple but in some cases it is easier said than done.

Bucket List

You’re probably thinking to yourself ‘did she just watch the Bucket List movie?’ Well you are 100% correct. So I thought about it for a while and the decided that it actually is a good idea to have a list of things that you would like to do before you die. These aren’t goals or personal achievements but more like things that you would like to experience and give a go at some stage. Here is my bucket list of 13 things that I would like to do, (13 being my favourite number) it took me three weeks to write because I wanted to make sure that I covered every area of my life.
1.) Sky diving. I want to jump out of a plane and survive.
2.) Have a champagne breakfast in a hot air balloon one morning.
3.) Go on a holiday with my Dad, Jody and Lissy to an island resort.
4.) Visit the pyramids of Egypt with my uncle Matthew.
5.) Go diving in Fiji and see what is on the sea floor.
6.) Take a cruise on a boat with my uncle Chris and cousin Rachel.
7.) Have a picnic at Cape Rienga lighthouse and watch the sun rise from the east, set in the west and see the meeting of the two seas.
8.) Be fluent in 5 languages. English, Japanese, Fijian, French and one other.
9.) Start up a trust or organisation which supports woman who go to sea. Leave behind a legacy to be followed.
10.) Have a family photo of all my family, the Stewarts on Long Bay beach.
11.) Cuddle a white tiger cub and take a photo with them.
12.) Visit Europe. – Rome, Paris, London, the Greek Islands and many more.
13.) And last of all to experience the feeling of what it is like to fall in love.

Take a break

People weren’t designed to run continuously 24/7. Batteries do eventually go flat, light bulbs blow, kettles boil and tyres go flat. Are we different from any of those? Five years ago I would have been the last person anyone would ever talk to about taking a break I am well known to continue working on through break times because I enjoy my job so much. Back when I was younger I thought I was a machine. I thought that if I worked night shifts on the ship then I could get 1 hour sleep before breakfast then start day work on deck. This was possible for a few months, believe it or not, before the Chief Officer found out.
In any job rest, relaxation and recovery become a part of your normal daily work routine. At sea working on a ship you have to make the time each day to rest, relax and recover. If you know your shifts then this makes it a lot easier by giving you a broad idea of when you will get time to rest. The last thing that you would ever want to happen is to become fatigued. Fatigue is not a nice feeling and it takes weeks to months to overcome, you can trust me on that one.
Be more like my favourite animal the tiger. They are fully active creatures always on the go, but they to know when to sleep and lay in the sun. So the next time someone gives you a tea break or invites you out for a coffee, say Yes! You will actually be doing your body a favour.

Importance of Friendships

Some people are bought into out lives for a reason. What reason? We may not always know. It is the ones that we lose that we wish we could re-kindle and start over rather than the long lasting ones we have. Some people come into out lives to correct us and put us straight some come for guidance or just for the feeling on comfort. Whatever friendships we are involved in we are to cherish the moments that we spend together. Who knows if each of you will still be standing together tomorrow, next week or in 10 years time. The old saying that goes: “It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all!” is totally true. Just think about a close friend you have now, how would you feel if he/she didn’t arrive home after a trip away with family? How would you feel? What would you do? How would you cope? There are so many questions that go through our heads now about what if? And what may or may not happen? We need to stop think about all the what ifs? It’s nice to be prepared but tale more time to think about the present times you have with your friends. Take every opportunity that you get to spend time with them, hang out, go to dinners and share stories with. I have recently just caught up with a friend which I haven’t seen in 4 years. In that time a lot of changes happen in each our lives. But because this friendship was strong from the start (I mean we did live and work on the Spirit of New Zealand small sailing ship together for over a year) that no matter how many things had happened in our lives since we last saw each other it actually felt like yesterday was the last time we laughed together. Sure things had changed and we both have grown up, but our friendship was still there, still as crazy as ever and full of laughter. So now is a good time to ring up you old high school friends who you may not have seen in many years, but what is there to lose, a friendship that has already grown apart or will you re-gain a friend from your past? All it takes is a pick up of the phone. It’s as easy as that!

In loving memory of high school friend James Skipper. (1986-2004)

Complacency

I was just looking through my dictionary at work and when I came across the word COMPLACENY. It was defined as the “self-satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of actual danger or deficiencies”. Wow! You say. I hope that this never happens to me.
So how are we supposed to live without becoming complacent in our work place? Situational awareness and variation are the two main keys to this. We have to be alert and aware to what is going in our surroundings. This is where the three “A’s” come into account. Being awake, alert and aware of what’s happening. A high percentage of shipping accidents and accidents in the workplace occur because of complacency. People just become too familiar with their environment and start to lose their larger awareness of the situation. The second key which also flows on from key one is variation. By adding a bit of variety to your job and duties it keeps you actively interested and allows you to enjoy your job more. When someone says they need to ‘spice up their life’ take not of this and try it in your workplace.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...

What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to go about it? What if I fail? Who will be there to pick me back up? Am I to move to a new house right now or continue to stay in backpackers? Should I pursue an existing career path or explore a career change? When do I leave my job I am in now or should I wait around for a miracle to happen? When will this be? Do I fight for what I want or let it go and move on? I have an idea should I step out and pursue it or take a back seat? These are just some of the questions and decisions that most people face many times in their lives. In some situations, the decisions are made for us. In others, we have to agonise over the choices, some involving sacrifices which in turn may not seem possible. Decision-making is never easy especially if the choices we make have life-altering consequences. Choosing what to wear each day may appear to be a challenge on some days. But, it certainly can’t compare to say choosing to live a life as Christian or fit into the world’s view of a woman. Since I have had to face a few significant decisions in my life over the last few years, I have had to use more than just my own inner strength to come to a decision. I chose to follow the path of the one who is always there for me when I fall down. The one who picks me up and wipes my tears away, the one with the shoulder I lean on and the hands I hold most. I owe all my thanks to the most influential person in my life - My DAD!

“When I grow up I wanna be a Captain, I wanna be a star, I wanna grow taller…”

Lyrics of a song just edited a wee bit for me. These words “when I grow up” come up in some many conversations daily that it has got me thinking a lot about this. What does this actually stipulate? I mean little children say this all throughout primary school and then high school and college. Even adults are still saying this when they are in their late 20’s and 30’s. So many people these days want to be someone other than who they are right now. Some want to be taller and skinnier, some want to be beautiful so that they can meet Mr Right, fall in love and have children while some just want to be a different person to who they are now. Why do we all want to different? I don’t understand this. I mean we have all been uniquely created with hand crafted gifts and talents placed in each of us, none like any other in the world, our creator wasn’t sleeping when he thought of us. We all have our own inner and outer beauty that defines who we are as people. Who else has your nose or your eyes? What about your thumbs and fingerprints, are there any more like yours?

I must admit some days I look into the mirror and cry out to God for just a little bit more height and less weight. What good does that do though? I only feel let down when my height doesn’t come and my weight just sits there. It is when I learn to be happy with who I am that I am able to stop saying that “I wanna…?” I do say I wanna be a Captain one day but that is in a different context. That context is in a living your dream context. This photo is of me and my current Captain on the Arahura getting ready for a tank inspection during a lay-up time in Wellington. So now is the time step up another level and move aside from saying “when I grow up” because your whole life is about growing up, living and learning each day.

P.S. "I Love You!"

Have you ever though to yourself what would happen to you if you lost all your family one day? What about if your family lost you? How would they handle it, would they cope? So many questions have gone through my head day after day since I have started working at sea about loss of life. All the ships I have worked on have come under a convention called SOLAS. This stands for Safety Of Life At Sea. We as seafarers are trained to protect the life of people on board and the sea environment which we work on. I admit it though but you could be the world’s best seafarer and have never been in any disaster at sea and then one day run into an ice berg. It could be the Titanic disaster all over again. What would you be thinking when you are abandoning your ship into a lifeboat which is one fire? Me personally I would be letting my family know much I care for them so much and also this message. P.S. “I Love You!” Moments like these are common among seafarers today. Disasters do happen, lives do get lost and pain is real for the families who are left behind. Don’t you wish that you could say just one more time “I Love You” to your Dad or sisters? And hug your Granny or little cousin before you leave the dock? Now is the time to start doing all this because you never know when your time is going to be up. Write letters and emails to your families when you are at sea, include P.S “I Love You!” at the bottom of each letter. Ring, make phone calls and text messages as often as you like. Let your loved ones know that you are thinking of them, miss them dearly and love them more than ever. Send surprise gifts in the mail home to them and even do the ultimate surprise of all a couple of times a year. Show up on their door step unannounced early than they were expecting you. I did this on Christmas Eve on year in 2005. Be a breath of fresh air when you return home and share your love and passion for life with them.

Surrounded by Water

Everywhere I go I am surrounded by water. Whether it be at work (on a ship), at home at my dads (ponds and harbour) and now on my time off (the fountain in this picture). I just can’t escape it. It is in my blood now. Humans are made up over 90% water so I guess this is where I get my sea legs from. Water hydrates us on a hot summers day, fills us with the refreshment we need to keep our body at a constant cool temperature. We use water for our boats to float on, to wash our feet in, to water the garden and wash our cars down (that is if we’re not in Australia) There are some countries in the eastern art of the world which don’t have access to water facilities each day. Some people have to walk miles on end just to get to the creek to wash their clothes. Sometimes we take so much for granted. So every time you turn on the tap in your bathroom room to brush your teeth of turn on a half full washing machine, just take a moment to think of the people in Ghana East Africa who struggle to have enough water to live on.

“Water in our sink, is what we like to drink. Water beneath the boat, is what keeps us afloat”

Sweet Home Arahura, where the seas are so blue...

I am home at last! It is so good to be back working for InterIslander Line again after being away for so long. The Arahura Rail Ferry was the very first merchant ship that I worked on as a trainee deck officer for 3 weeks in August 2005 before I moved to the Aratere for the rest of my cadetship. I have recently just signed a 12 month fixed contract to work as a full time 3rd Officer on a week on week off roster for InterIslander Line. I will start off on the Arahura then move to the Kaitaki for familiarisation. When all the familiarisation is completed I will be available to work on all three ships where I am needed. As long as I am working for this company I am pretty flexible as to which ship I work on. The 12 month fixed contract is perfect for me. I will working regular hours, getting regular time off and pay and being able to live a close to normal lifestyle as I am able to know when I am working and when I am not. It’s pretty exciting having your whole year planned ahead of you. I am used to going from one ship to another and then back again without rest. That’s what happens when you make yourself available for three companies, they all tend to want you at the same time so time off becomes non-existent. I will now be able to plan my leave and studies around when I am working and not worry about if I am going to get called back to sea for a 6 week contract in my leave. February 2010 I head off to the NZ Maritime School to begin my studies for my Chief Mates Ticket. So this contract allows me sufficient seatime and work up till I head back to school. November 2010 I plan to sit my Chief Mates Oral exam. So for now it’s Wellington/Picton on the Ferries. Like Dorothy say's on the Wizard of Oz: “There is no place like home”

Who do you Trust on a ship?

I remember having a conversation with a Captain in his office one day about this particular question, Trust. Yes the big ‘T’ word. I have always had the approach of not trusting anyone as far as I can throw them, and even though I may have a good arm, the size of some of the crew on ships I wouldn’t have any hope in moving them. Trust was the topic of conversation on this particular day and to be totally honest my whole awareness of leadership and personal working relationships has changed to a new level. We discussed the purpose Trust and how a ship operates with and without it. But where there is Trust there is also Responsibility. You can’t have one without the other. Being a Master or Captain of ship you have to have full trust in your crew who are working for you because at the end of the day if anything happens it all falls back on you as the Master. An Officer of the Watch (OOW) is in charge of keeping a bridge navigational and safety watch on behalf of the Master to allow him/her to perform other tasks on board. No one is physically capable of carrying out all the shipboard duties on their own so that is why there are crew on board. Officers and Deck Crew all work together to maintain a safe and efficient running of the ship. There has to be some level of trust between crew members to eliminate the chances of tension developing, incidents and accidents happening and even serious ship related issues. So even if you don’t feel like you can trust anyone on board the ship think of the Master on your situation. If the Master trusts an Officer to perform his duties then this is evidence that you could possibly Trust them as well. Some people may have the knowledge but are they competent? Bottom line is don’t not trust anyone so far that you end up taking on more work load and responsibility than you can really manage. Teamwork and Trust is the framework to building a working relationship with your crew on board.
This photo above is of the Captain, Chief Officer and 1st Officer on the Volendam, working together to deploy a weather buoy for the met. service in New Zealand. Location of deployment was in the middle of the Tasman Ocean between the South Island of New Zealand and Tasmanian of Australia.

"Your reputation precedes you"

It is such a nice feeling joining a ship and being greeted by a Captain who says:
“Oh it’s so good to see you back, your reputation precedes you…” I had no idea what he meant until I asked him later on that day.
New Zealand is such a small country and the shipping industry is even smaller. I have worked on just about all the ships operating on the New Zealand coast. Inter Islander Line – Aratere, Arahura, Kaitaki. Silver Fern Shipping – Torea, Kakariki. Golden Bay Cement. Pacifica Line – Spirit of Resolution. Holland America Line – Volendam. Marine Reach – Pacific Link. Spirit of Adventure Trust – Spirit of New Zealand. And I have been on board the following ships for a day. Pacifica – Spirit of Competition. Holcim Cement Ships – Melbourne Carrier 2, Westport and quite a few offshore vessels. Some would say to me don’t you get board with working only in New Zealand and to be totally honest why would you want to work anywhere else when there is a beautiful country like New Zealand here to work in. The coastal scenery is just amazing, the wildlife and sea life in the south island and the weather. I mean this is like a job in Heaven. The best part about it is that everyone knows me. If they don’t know me face to face they know of me. So that is a bonus for being a kiwi that ‘Your reputation proceeds you’ wherever you go. Every worker in the ports around the coast either know you or of you, all the pilots in the NZ shipping industry have heard of you, the Maritime School speaks highly of you and so on. So why would you want to leave all this behind to go and work on a ship deep sea where you don’t see anyone for days on end and then show up in a foreign port with workers and pilots with English as their 3rd language?
What you say and what you do will always pave a pathway forward in your life. It is proven that sound travels faster than man that is why the word gets around faster than you think. So what you do now effects what happens in the future. To end this, it is a nice feeling when you walk onto a ship for the first time and your reputation has already gone before you and paved a smooth way for your entry.

Risking your life

As an officer on board a ship you are trained in the operation s of all the fire fighting equipment and life saving appliances on board. In an emergency situation it is you who is responsible to use the equipment to best aid the situation. On a passenger ferry in a real emergency it is the officers who are in charge of the LSA operation. For an Abandon ship emergency an officer is to do all that they can to ensure all passengers are accounted for and evacuated into lifeboats. This may mean that the fire party have to conduct search and rescue patterns in passenger areas and cabins to account for anyone who may be missing. Working on a passenger ferry, passengers are put first. You may lose your life saving people in a fire on board your ship but at least you will be know as the one who risked their life to save others. Passengers place their faith in ships crew before they board. They have to be sure that they are going to step on board a ship where there is crew who know what to do in an emergency and will save them if need be. People still have the picture and memory of the Titanic disaster in the back of their minds. That is always going to be an issue and something that we don’t have control over. What we do have control over is the present. We are able to reassure passengers that they are in good hands with fully qualified competent crew.

She Captains - By Joan Druett

Joan Druett wrote an amazing book called "She Captains."

A piece of her writing is pasted below: If a "Hen Frigate" is any ship carrying a captain's wife, then a "she captain" is a bold woman distinguished for courageous enterprise in the history of the sea. There were women who cross-dressed to get into the forecastle and take part in battle, and women who pretended to be men so they could make lots of money (so they naively thought) in the whaling business. And then there were the female admirals, the lady shipbuilders, and the women explorers. And, of course, there were pirates. This book which Joan wrote she immensely enjoyed researching and writing it, it is a lighthearted buzz through female participation in the seafaring world over the past few decades.

Importance of Family

Being old and working at sea is a lot different to if you were young. For me I am young. My heart and passion are all about working at sea but at the end of the day I still need my family around me for love and support. You really find out the true meaning of family when you go to sea. Think about this for a minute: "You are on ship in a far off ocean with no land around to be seen in 100's of miles. The only human life you encounter is the other 17 people on board your ship. Writing in a journal and letters home to family and friends is a great way to express yourself, taking photos and collating them holds together memorable moments and experiences and counting down the days till you get home to be with your loved ones. Time away makes time at home have much more meaning. You tend to learn to cherish every little moment more, those little precious moments with family will be the basis of your pleasant memories to recall back on when you are at sea.

So my words of encouragement to all young people either considering working at sea or who are currently on board a ship is: "Reflection is good for keeping you at peace while at sea, but be sure to make the most of every opportunity when on land to spend time with your family." Take lots of photos, give lots of hugs, share heaps of meals together, plan lots of family and friends reunions and cherish every moment as if it were your last!

Where have i been?

I have created a one page blog for the journal of my life at sea over the last 8 years. It was to long to write as one post for my blog page so i have created a link to this, it is:
http://megs-at-sea-journal.blogspot.com/

My dream for young woman

I have a dream and this dream is different from the one which I am living. I am living my dream of becoming a Captain of a ship, each day on board I am learning and experiencing new things which is all adding to a new stage in my career. I live my dream rather than living to reach it.My dream which I have is to see other young woman reach their dreams and to their full potential. I aim to encourage young woman by leading by example in a challenging world today. To show young woman that they can achieve anything when they apply themselves to it. One thing is to believe in yourself and the other is to do something about it.

Like these children in the photo above, some of them have dreams to become doctors and dentists. Some also want to be teachers so that they can teach the other children in the islands of Fiji as well as helping them when they are in trouble. So even children in countries where education and resources are limited and future careers don’t seen possible from people outside their environment, these little children dream big and live their dreams out even from a young age. The teachers of the schools there at present are all ex-students who have been through the same challenges and hurdles to get where they are today.
So like these little children in the Fijian islands young girls and guys from any age, any race and country are able to take this step of faith, the step of faith in believing in themselves and reaching high in life.

There is so much discrimination out there in the world today against woman and especially young woman. My words of encouragement to you all is that if you want something go get it. There is nothing that can stop you from doing something that you want to do (within reason). Go for your dreams, put all your energy and time into it, its all worth it once you take that first step.

Set goals and step out to achieve them. That is how I have got to where I am today. I am now a Deck Officer on rail Ferries and Cargo ships overseas. If I didn’t believe in myself and believe that I could do what I do I wouldn’t be where I am today. You are your own worst enemy if you let yourself be, otherwise you can be your own best friend. Think positive, look straight and smile when you can. Trust me it will make a difference.

TRANSITION from school into the real world

Do you remember back when you were in your last year at high school? How you felt about change and transition out into the real world? What thoughts were going into your head, fears of making the big step, decisions having to be made as to what career path you should take? There is so much pressure put on young people now days to find a job that they want to do when they leave school and then they spend the first few years paying off a student loan while studying for a degree in something which they may never use in the future.It would be so much easier if everything we supposed to do was written up in an easy step by step manual. But the true is that life isn’t like that, what we do and how we are to do something can’t be found in a book. Could you imagine how boring life would be if we all followed the steps of a book that showed us how to live. The bible shows us the way to live a holy life in light of God but what book shows us what we are to do once we leave school? Nothing explains that.When I left school I walked straight into a cadetship on the sailing ship the Spirit of New Zealand. Just like my cadetship an apprenticeship in your chosen profession will set you up for life if you choose to follow it. The idea of these training schemes it to equip young adults and teenagers for life in the real world. All training is paid for while the individual is being paid a set wage. This is what I did when I left school and now I am living my dream out while being paid to do it at the same time. So my advice to young people out there today who are thinking about what they are going to do when they leave school is to have dreams and live to live them out. If you want to be an air traffic controller but your gender is holding you back – you go for it girl, if you are determined to achieve your dreams and reach happiness in your work do something that you love and that brings you satisfaction.Leave school with big dreams and plans and pursue a life of living them into being.

Advantages of working on cargo ships

What are the advantages of working as a Deck Officer on cargo ships rather than on cruise ships?Both types of ships have their advantages, for me personally I prefer cargo ships. You have a limited number of crew and depending on what company you work for and crew you live with on board it can actually be quite a nice environment to work in. A lot of people work and do a job because they have to, most people who work on a ship really like what they do, its a choice that each of us make, to leave our families at home and step on board a ship to sail away from at least 4 weeks to 6 months at a time. I mean why would you do that if you didn’t want to?So a ship a less than 20 crew that all get on and speak English is my choice of ship and chosen job. I found that on my last ship the Tasmanian Achiever, I can’t think of any other cargo ship that I have worked on where I have felt such a well knit family environment on board a ship. I mean there is no brick wall between departments like on the tankers and everyone enjoys interacting with each other, especially on a Sunday night when we all get given a well deserved day off.

On a cargo ship as well you are on set watches (12-4, 4-8, or 8-12) so you know exactly when you are working and what time you have off watch to rest. You are able to get your body into a routine of working and proper sleeping patterns and also able to set aside time to go ashore and have a good coffee. With less crew on board a ship there are more chances to get to know each other and grow up together in your job. The crew become like close friends on a family sort of level. My last ship has really shown that cargo ships and crew can be the best environment to work in at sea; compared to the tankers I’ve worked on in the past.Cruise ships – well they are another story. Personally they aren’t for me, over 2,500 people on board, not many English speaking first language crews, limited shore leave, not regular set watches and so many different uniforms to wear.
So thanks go to the crew on the Tasmanian Achiever for making my time on board really enjoyable :-)

Day in the life of a Deck Officer on a RoRo Cargo Ship

It may seem like a fairly busy and long drawn out day but to be honest its all up to how you manage it. Good time management planning and record keeping is the key to preventing fatigue. The following is a typical work schedule for a 3rd Officer on board the Tasmanian Achiever on Bass Strait.
0550- ½ hour wake up call for mooring stations,
0615- Deck Officer on the fo’c’sle for the forward mooring station,
0730- Breakfast,
0800-Cargo Watch down in the cargo control room and on deck, discharge,
1000- Cargo Watch normally commencing loading cargo,
1200- End of watch, lunch time now with the engineers,
1230- Go ashore for a good coffee with the engineers,
1300- Rest time on board or safety checks,
1530- Bridge equipment gear pre-departure tests,
1630- Deck Officer on the fo’c’sle for the forward mooring station,
1700- Rest time,
1800- Meal relief for the Chief Officer on the Bridge,
1830- Dinner with engineers,
1900- Rest time,
2000- Bridge navigation watch for 4 hours,
2400- End of watch, bed time.
The best part about this daily schedule is that you are always busy doing something. There is really no time to get bored or lonely on this ship. You do get time to relax and watch movies every now and then and when you do you cherish those quite times a lot more.
Does any of this inspire or encourage you to take that step for a change in career?

Communication

BRM - Bridge Resource Management, CLC - Close Loop Communication

“Full Ahead on both!” “Aye Aye Captain”“Rudder hard to Port, lets make our way out of here now the war is over” Communication is a huge factor when it comes to bridge resource management. One of the high causes of accidents and incidents at sea is by poor communication if any between bridge crew members and other ships in the area. You would think that something so easy as talking would actually be a weak point for the most people. If you don’t communicate with others then no one is really going to know what is going on and how to prepare for an emergency if something goes wrong. Captain gives an order, helmsman repeats it back to the Captain and then the captain acknowledges that the repeat was correct by saying ‘Yes.’Now days CLC is in a format of order, repeat, acknowledge "Steer 320", "320", "Yes"Each day and prior to departure from the wharf it should start off with a briefing of the passage plan for what’s happening. After any occurrence, incident and training session a debrief should also be carried out touching on the point of what was done and how things could be improved on for next time. Communication is the key of any good management!

Now an Australian :-)

Gidday Mate! You would think that I would now be classed as an Australian; I mean I have an Australian ticket, and Australian Medical certificate, radio licence, an Australian Bank account, and work for an Australia company (temp.) and spend parts of each yeah in working in different ports in Australia. I mean I have also started to talk a bit like an Aussie. I call jandals - thongs now, twink - white out, vacuum cleaners - hoovers, and sausages – snags. Started to learn the rules of Aussie rules - and by that I don’t mean at there maritime rules and regulations I mean the football sport. I started to watch tennis like the Aussies and play cricket while on board. Geez even celebrated Australia Day last Monday with the crew on the ship. And I guess you could say that I must not be a true kiwi chick because I have not seen once were warriors, King Kong and The Lord of the rings series even since they were all made in New Zealand.

Taking the Helm

Just one look at this picture and some would say "She's not right to go to sea!" yeah I still do actually get that from some people in person. They take one look at me and compare me to an image of a seafarer which the world has created. In the worlds eyes you have to be a guy, be big and strong and masculine to work on a ship. Even on a cruise ship you are expected to look physically able to fight fires, launch life boats and work on the ship. That's ridiculous if you ask me. I may not look that big or that string but by the way which I work and the strength which I have compared to my size I have out done a lot of the guys who work in the deck side. Some people call an ant because I can lift things twice my body weight, which is basically the size of one of the guys on board.

Some may say that I am too girly to work on a ship - why because I am not afraid to admit that I am a woman and it is who I am. Where as others would say that I am going to lose my feminine side working on a ship full of guys. Either way both sides are wrong. I am happy with who I am and what I do. I am a woman working in a man's world - so to speak, and I have my feminine side. I am not afraid to get dirty and drag chain lashings on deck, neither am I afraid to go down and do tank inspection in 40 degree temperatures. It's my job and my passion and I live it. There is a right time and place for everything in this world. I am not exactly going to paint my nails while working on a cargo ship the right time to do that is when I am at home on land. And then when it comes to dress codes there is a dress code for every ship and I also have to abide by that. I am not going to prance around on deck or in the mess room in small string tops and a skirt no tat would just be asking to the guys to look at me. I mean there is nothing that I can do on board to stop the guys from looking when I walk by. It’s in their nature. But I am not going to flaunt myself in front of them. If it gets to the stage where I have to approach them and put them in their place then I will and i do, that always makes them feel nervous anytime they look at me after that. Which in a way is funny but I wouldn’t want people to feel uneasy around me. So what I am trying to say is that no one in this world doesn’t look good for a job which they are passionate about. Everyone deserves the right to step forward and be who they want to be and live in a way which makes them happy.

Woman v's Modern day technology

Days go by with endless stories of fellow crew members memories of when they were at sea. Their loved ones and lost ones, the ones that got away and the grumpy old Captains who they have sailed with. I could write a book on merchant seafarers from as far back as 1900 from all the stories I have been told. When the guys share their stories about “when I was at sea we didn’t have all these modern day technologies that we have these days, men were men and woman were the topic of all conversation!” That’s when I say “Sorry Mate since I’ve been at sea men are still just only men and woman happen to be so much more now!” Sure things have changed, we now have access to high class modern technologies and technical systems, but the biggest difference from back then to now is that it’s all in the past and there is nothing that you can do to go back there. Now days we have the opportunity to take that next step in technology, placing faith in electronics and technical equipment is something you have to learn to do on a ship, even though there is still the slightest chance that it may fail on you. If you are confident in your competence and use wisdom to guide you in decision making then technical equipment is used as a back up to your actions. Some would disagree with me on this. But think of it this way; if you have a blackout on a ship, most times you will lose a lot of equipment and some will be powered by a back-up system. Whereas what are the likely chances of you yourself having a black out while on watch? Pretty slim aye. So that’s why it is an advantage having at least one woman on board every ship. It invites a new way of thinking, fresh ideas, logically workings, and a new atmosphere where is something isn't going right they are not afraid to speak up and say something.

Working Down Under - Just a leap across the ditch

Tasmanian Achiever. In January 2007 I first joined this ship as a trainee Deck Officer the purpose was to gain experience working on a RoRo cargo ship in different waters other than New Zealand. Two years down the track in January 2009 I received a phone call from Toll Shipping in Australia. The next thing I know I am on a plane to Melbourne the next day to work one roster for another officer who was on medical leave. I joined the Tasmanian Achiever this time as a 3rd Officer and to be honest not much had changed on board over the last two years, I mean even most of the crew were still the same. The only real big difference was the bridge gear but I had used that on my last two ships. I sat my AMSA oral exam for my certificate of recognition to work on an Australian registered ship in Australian waters.
The ship runs was between Melbourne and Burnie in Tasmania. We load the ship during the day and sail in the late afternoon to reach the next port in the early hours of the morning. The ship transports containers, trucks and trailer units, cars, tanks and up to 12 passengers. She also carried livestock trucks carrying cattle and sheep. I liked loading them on the weather deck because I had to go and check the condition of the livestock before we let it be loaded onto the ship. I grew up on a farm which had quite a lot of sheep and cows so it kind of felt like I was back home for a while.

Sunday nights the ship lays up in Burnie for the night so this was our favourite day on board, our day of rest after discharging the Melbourne cargo. Some crew would go ashore to church in the morning and the rest would go for shore leave. After lunch a group of crew would go ashore for a good decent coffee from Bango’s cafe. This was followed up by fishing with the deck guys in the afternoons off the end of the wharf in the hot sun. The evening was a time to relax and socialise with the crew over a nice cooked BBQ by an engineer on the back deck in the sunset. The finale of the evening was the movie night in the Chief engineer’s cabin which included fresh plunger coffee.

New years on board the Aratere

December 2008 I joined the Aratere again for my 3rd New Years on board working the night shift. It was so great to be back on board the ships which I started my career on. One thing I became aware of when I got on board was that you don’t really realise how much something means to you until you have gone away for a while then returned. I realised this with the Aratere. After being away from her for so long, working on other ships and sailing around different places of the world, I actually miss working on Cook Strait in New Zealand on the Rail Ferries. It’s the people that make a job worth enjoying and it’s the crew on the Rail ferries and the company which I particular like working with and for. I feel blessed to have such a great job with them and a reputation with the company that will stick for many years to come.Piloting the ship in through Tory Channel in the dark night with the moon setting over the leads to the entrance is just one of the spectacular sights of the beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound.Loading 23 Trucks on the top deck in a 22 truck space at 2am in the morning, planning the stowage and separations of trucks carrying dangerous goods – the late arrival trucks that you pray will fit on board and meet the IMDG Code requirements. All has always gone well and will continue to go well on the Aratere.

I have always worked with a great bunch of guys in the deck department; most have been from the islands in the south pacific and a pleasure to work with. You get the odd one or two that are always difficult to communicate with but like my dad say you are going to get that with any job.Working for the Inter Islander Ferries in New Zealand is a great way for a woman or young girl to start her career at sea. The company and crew on board the ships will look after you during your time with them, as well as they will through challenges at you to grow you into a strong confident young Officer.

So you want to be a Princess aye?

I could almost write a book about this word alone; ‘Princess.’ Who would have thought that just one little word like this could mean so much to a woman?Before I joined my first product tanker as 3rd Mate I was having a conversation with my Nana in her back garden about what it means to be a woman. One of the words that stuck with me from there on was the word ‘Princess’. I joined my first tanker in January 2008 where I was greeted by the crew and addressed as princess by one particular mate. I couldn’t believe it. After having that talk with my grandma about being a princess, here I was now being called one on a ship, and a tanker of all ships.I want to encourage all woman out there who work at sea, whether it be in the deck, engine or catering department, that we are all Princess’s. Even when we are covered from head to toe in mud and smelly sea water after doing tank inspections in double bottom water ballast tanks. Beneath the dirt is a princess who is strong, confident and beautiful. We don’t need to change who we are to mould into an image of a seafarer, no, we can be ourselves, be the princess who we were born to be.

Multi-talented Passions

I serve on a small medical missionary ship once a year when the time fits in with my work and studies. The voyages are normally New Zealand and up in the Fiji Islands. I work as a volunteer 2nd Officer on board the M.V. Pacific Link which means that I am in charge of the navigational charts and publications on board. When the ship sails I keep a navigational watch with a deck hand teaching him navigation and the rules of the road at sea. When the ship is alongside the wharf and involved in medical and missions work I assist in which ever department needs some more hands. Whether it is in the dentistry, medical or optometry department or in the schools working with the children. That’s my favourite part. Even it is just serving glasses of water to the locals who are waiting to see the dentist on board. It is nice to just sit down with them on deck and laugh and laugh, with the children its great to draw pictures and colour in and read books with them.My ultimate dream job would be as Captain of a Medical Missionary Ship voyaging around the world serving the countries which require medical and health services. We’ll see when that dream comes to be.

Respect starts with "U"

I have learnt a lot about the male species over the last few years at sea. In the industry which I work in I am amongst people who have been at sea their entire livesIf you want to gain respect of the other crew on board it first must start with you showing them respect. Respect is one of my highest values in life and when it comes to working on a ship it has to work both ways for a comfortable working environment to be established.I have learnt and I’m still learning how to approach another crew member (males) when it comes to instructing them on a task or operational procedure concerning safety training. There is a certain way in which you are to speak to a guy especially when it comes from a woman in charge. A woman needs to speak in a tone of voice that doesn’t make her sound too feminine but at the same time shouldn’t change who she is to fit in with the rest of the guys. Having a strong, confident voice and being certain in what she is saying is a big point in this. Speak in a way which doesn’t come across as intimidating to the guys or that you are trying to show them up that you know better than them. There is always going to be that little bit of conflict within some of the guys having to take an order from a woman. Once that respect and trust is established by the woman being confident, strong and sure of herself and her ability then the atmosphere opens up to be a more comforting environment.

I guess you could say that you have to be thick skinned working on a ship. You have to learn to not take anything to heart, don’t hold grudges against another crew member because that all makes life very difficult on board for yourself and others working around you.
For me every day is a learning day on board. Whether it be learning more in my studies, ship board operations or different ways to interact and learn about other people on board. I guess an advantage which I have is that I am studying for a Diploma in Psychology via distant learning. It has helped me to understand different types of people and that way in which an environment influences the way people act and interact.

“Be Strong, Confident and Positive” – Happiness.

Transition between Cargo ships and Passenger ships

Apart from the obvious there are so many differences between cargo ships and passenger ships. People are the difference which stands out the most. Not only the number of people on board but more-so the type.Cargo ships tend to generally attract people who are self-motivated and driven, like to work independently and don’t mind spending most days working alone.Passenger ships on the other hand attract people who are patient and who like working as a team, present themselves well, and who are polite and considerate.Cargo Ships generally have up to 18 crew members and can carry up to 12 passengers to come under SOLAS regulations for a cargo ship.Passenger ships on the other hand usually have at least 200 crew members on board and anywhere from 13-3000+ passengers. To go from a cargo ship to a passenger ship as a deck officer can be a big shock to the system with respect to the number of people who are now around you, but it’s also like a step up in class and presentation. Most deck officers make a transition that way rather than from passenger ships to cargo ships, because after having star service, cabin stewards, gourmet food, dry cleaned uniform daily, it harder to make the transition down to working in overalls on a deck of a ship, washing your own dishes and changing your own bed linen. Some would say that working on cargo ships is a hard life and is defiantly not for them. Personally I love working on a cargo ship where you can look after yourself and have a large cabin like a double bedroom and office at home.Cargo ships have a bridge team consisting of a Captain, Chief Officer, 2nd and 3rd Officer, an AB or IR as a QM/lookout. On Passenger ships the average bridge team consists of 2 x Captains, 1 x Chief Officer, 1 x 1st Officer, 3 x 2nd Officers, 2 x 3rd Officers, 2 x 4th Officers, 2 x Deck Officer Trainees, 1 x QM, 2 x lookouts and a Pilot in pilotage waters. That’s a lot of people.

So for me personally as much as I love people and interaction, cargo ships are the way for me to go at this stage.

Cruise Ship Luxuries

Cruise Ship Passenger Areas. Just some of the luxuries which passengers get to enjoy and relax in while on holiday or a cruise. Now wouldn't that be nice to experience one day. Well you can. There are some Cruise Ship companies which allow you to enjoy some of the same luxuries as the passengers. For example like using the passenger gyms, pools and Jacuzzis, attending shows and performances in the theatres, dining in the restaurants and buying from the on board shops, and some companies even encourage their crew and staff to join in on shore excursions and tours when the ship is in port. How awesome does that sound? How does a nice wine trail and tasting sound, or visit to the local art gallery or museum? Fancy a bus tour around a historical village? Or a trip with an explorer boat to go and swim with dolphins? These are just some of the joys of working at sea!

The Navigation bridge on a ship

This first photo is from the bridge wing of a Cruise ship looking aft towards the stern. You can get a good view of the side of the ship where the life boats are situated below the passenger balconies. Just about all cargo ships have open bridge wings where the Captain and Pilot will control the ship from outside the bridge. There are limited services on open bridge wings. Usually only controls for the bow thrusters, telegraph, helm and emergency stops. Whereas on enclosed bridge wings on all Cruise Ships and some Ferries the services which the Captain and Pilot have access to are far more than those on an open bridge wing ship. They have all the luxuries of CCTV Radar, ECDIS on conning display, Echo Sounder, Speed log, cameras, GPS, VHF radios and shelter from the weather. So you can see why most Captains like enclosed bridge wings. Me personally I prefer open bridge wings as you get a better feel for what the ship is doing when you can look over the side of the ship and feel the wind when making a decision in manoeuvring.


The second photo is a typical lay out of a navigation bridge on a ship. You see the central conning display which is situated in the middle of the bridge with a small wheel allowing the quartermaster to do hand steering. Yes most ships still do have chairs for the Captain and Officer of the Watch to sit in. Bridge areas on Cruise Ships and Ferries all have carpet on the floors whereas Cargo ships tend to just stick with lino floor covering. This is my favourite area on a ship. I spend half my day on the bridge of ship either on watch of doing admin for routine safety checks. Go AMOS!

MEDIVAC - Via Helicopter on the Australian Coast

MEDIVAC - A Medical Evacuation via Helicopter is the last resort for any medical case on board a ship. If the Doctors or Officers on board are not able to do any more for a patient then depending on where the ship is located a medical evacuation will be considered.I witnessed my first helicopter evacuation on board my last ship. I can see now why English is the required language for communication in emergencies. We had 7 different nationalities on the bridge during this scenario. Dutch, Polish, British, Latvia, English, Scottish and Pilipino.The overall outcome of the evacuation was a success and the paperwork afterwards only took 2 hours to complete. Thanks to the admin Officers on board - 3rd Officer.

10 Magical Wonders of the Sea

One of the 10 magical wonders seen on the ocean. It’s not every day you get to see the tale of a whale on more occasions than one.These are the 10 wonders of the sea as I see them from my journeys so far.
1- Sunrises and Sunsets seen on the horizon.
2- Sea Life and wild life. Whales, Dolphins, Seals, Birds and fish.
3- The sound of the sea against the hull of the ship, complete peacefulness and serenity.
4- International travel by sea and see the world while you work.
5- The Fresh air, ocean breeze and clear starry lit skies seen most on most nights.
6- Personal satisfaction from achieving set goals.
7- Strength, self-confidence, competence and perseverance gained from being on a ship.
8- Rough weather voyaging. Encountering near death experiences.
9- Experience different cultures from all around the world. Learn a number of languages.
10- The pay package you take home at the end of your contract is so worth it.These are only just some of the wonderful reasons to pursue a dream to live and work on the ocean.

Support Woman At Sea - Cause Campaign

I have started up a Cause Campaign on Facebook in the hope that more Women can be encouraged to pursue a Career at sea and stay strong in the midst of tough times. It’s a chance for woman to come together to encourage and show their support to other woman who are working in the Maritime industry. A chance to speak up about tough issues they have faced at sea and also sharing their exciting stories of experiences they have had at sea.The time has come for Woman to speak up. There are so many of us out there who have dreams to become Chief Officers and Captains of Cruise Ships, Product tankers and Bulk Cargo Ships. What is stopping us from stepping up and rising to the challenge? Male domination, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, male over-powering, insecurity? There are a number are factors that may be relevant, but in each case is different for every woman.I have started up a donation link on the site to raise money to sponsor a trainee to go on the Spirit of New Zealand. All donations go to the Woman for Woman International fund. When the goal amount of $1500.00 is reached, I personally will bring forth the $1500 for the young teenager to go on the Spirit of New Zealand. The Spirit of Adventure Trust will be contacted and a trainees name will be given to me who I will then pay for. This trainee will be mentioned on the website before they go on the ship and then they will write a small letter to us on completion of the voyage.I love my career and life at sea so much that I want others to experience the same passion which I have. I endeavour to spread the Word through the medium of the sea with other young woman out there. It is a fantastic career to start; you get to travel the world, see amazing places, work with a ship full of crew that becomes like family over time and have the responsibility of taking command of a bridge watch for two 4 hour shifts a day. The people you get to meet, places and sights you sea and the pay package at the end of your travels are only a few highlights of this chosen profession. So take that step and show your support to woman already at sea.

Milford Sounds Scenic Cruising

Milford Sounds Cruising on board the Volendam. Scenic Cruising through the beautiful hills and inlets of the South Island of New Zealand is defiantly a highlight on a South Pacific voyage on a Cruise Ship. The Milford Sounds area is much like the Marlborough and Queen Charlotte Sounds with fewer boats sailing and touring in the area. The wildlife is pretty much the same, with huge amounts of dolphins, birds and sea life. There are numerous amounts of waterfalls running down the hills and cliffs at the waters edge.Can you believe that we get paid to do this kind of stuff! Its amazing isn't it. Travelling around the beautiful New Zealand seeing wildlife, sea life and hills covered in native bush. I personally can’t dream of anything more spectacular that this!