Kate Geister, Merchant Mariner – USA

My job looks different depending on the ship I am working on. However, I mostly do the handling of lines, changing sails, charting, cooking, cleaning the galley, attending to guests and their needs, cleaning puke buckets and staying on course at the helm with no autopilot. What I honestly love most about my job is simply sailing and being away from land. The magical feeling of waking up and seeing nothing but open ocean & of course the quietness you experience mentally! You’re too busy to ponder and most of the time there’s no service so no need to worry what’s going on in the world.

Unfortunately I have experienced gender based challenges – I don’t think you get through the maritime world without experiencing some bullshit being a woman at sea. I mean where do I start? It’s happened a lot. In short, some people think it’s all about sex if there’s a female on board, or that I’m incapable/unable to accomplish/achieve a task/goal. I guess in hindsight all I’ve been able to do after something like this has happened is to prove wrong and keep focused on what my end goals are. People no matter where you are in the world will be shitty. But are you really going to let an insecure man at sea bring you down? Absolutely not!

My advice to women at sea is to speak your truth and don’t hold back! Inform your kids about their being a whole other world out at sea. Inform inner city kids/your friends’ kids about them being a mariner as a possibility in their future – also, it’s ok to want a career out here & you don’t have to ‘if you don’t want to’ be a mom staying home with kids. I see a lot of women putting themselves on the back burner to accommodate others and not seeking their full potential in life. Go live and let live! Traditional ways are for history books.. Make sure you take good care of yourself, drink water, exercise, and eat healthy. Ask questions, stay informed. Be kind, but take no shit. You take care of you and the rest will fall into place.

Kate Geister, Merchant Mariner – USA