Enni Lehtonen, 2nd Officer – Finland

My current position requires me to be responsible for navigational duties, safety onboard and the medical care. I prepare the voyages and the bridge to be ready to sail. While we are at sea I’m on the watch mainly twelve to four but it varies depending on our tight schedule. We’re operating in the Baltic and North sea currently which includes a lot of narrow fairways, archipelago and even fjords.

This is a great opportunity to learn to know your ship and gain your own skills. All the safety equipment checks are on me like an example of a lifeboat and lifejackets. These checks are an important part of my duty to make sure the vessel is a safe place. When we arrive or depart the port I’ll be at the bridge to assist the master for mooring operations and keeping up the radio communication. Together with a Chief Officer we supervise the cargo operations. Here at the general cargo vessel the cargo can be almost anything.

Sometimes I join the deck with the crew and secure the cargo and sometimes I’ll drive our elevator. Also medical inventory belongs to me. This is mostly paperwork and going through the medicines expiry dates as well as keeping the locker tidy. We really do hope it keeps like this and the crew stays healthy. Keeping the ship as a safe working place should always be the priority.

What I love most about my job is the peace at sea, all the sunsets and sunrises feeds my soul. The challenges our industry brings with all that trust and responsibility is the motivation to keep going and learn everyday new things about this career. At the same time your colleagues teach you and you learn yourself.

One change I would love to see in the maritime industry is that there are no gender roles. I would love for everybody to be equal so that there are no male or female duties. There are only duties for qualified people. My advice to other female seafarers is choose the role you want to be and work hard towards it.

Enni Lehtonen, 2nd Officer – Finland