Charting a course for success – Ship Captain Vanessa Merchant
─ one of three female ship captains
─ Be bold, be strong
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, March 7, 2019
Captain Vanessa Merchant is the first woman to possess a Masters in navigation and is one of three female ship captains in Guyana.
Merchant, 36, the last of four girls and a mother of one always loved a challenge; and this has fueled her drive to join the marines.
For Merchant becoming a female captain was her biggest achievement, particularly since she was pregnant while studying for her masters.
As a result of pursuing that dream, she is now captain to the ship; MV Malali.
Merchant explained the only challenge she currently faces is working in an environment not conducive for women.
She underwent training in fire-fighting, survival at sea, ship security, oil and chemical tanker Cargo Operations (tanker familiarisation) and shipboard awareness, all with no prior knowledge to what maritime entails.
“I try to focus a lot on what I do, I try to be stern, I try to be brave, because remember this is a men-oriented field and they feel that women have no place here, that’s why I am here to show other women that there is place for you in the navigation arena.”
Captain Merchant – a mate on the ship, is the person solely responsible for giving guidance, which entails mapping paths to get to destinations and ensuring that all the occupants onboard her ship gets from point A to point B safely, to the crew which.
While training, Merchant worked as a mate on a ship where she steered a vessel to Trinidad – one of her most exciting journeys yet! Vanessa said, the waters can get rough and the waves reach as high as the navigation bridge (control room) in a storm, however, she is not fearful and is able to ‘ride the waves.’
For Captain Merchant balancing her work and family life – being a career woman and fulfilling the role of a mother (and father in most instances) – has its challenges. Nevertheless, she remains steadfast in both her roles.
Vanessa grew up in the village of Vryheid’s Lust on the East Coast of Demerara, where she attended the Vryheid’s Lust Nursery and Primary schools.
As a little girl she always liked doing things that would challenge her and after completing her secondary education at Bladen Hall, she began working at Transport and Harbors but was always behind a desk – which was never her style. She wanted to work in the mechanic shop but her then superior refused to give her that opportunity. Thereafter, when the masters in navigation course was made available for men and women, she decided to take a shot and the rest is history.
The captain urges young women who are pursuing their careers to be bold, be strong and do not be intimidated as this is no longer just a man’s world.
Kipenie Jordan.
Images: Ameer Sattaur.