I’m a ship’s captain – people said I would never make it because I’m a woman, but I proved them wrong
A FEMALE sea captain has been a trailblazer for other young women entering the industry.
But it’s not been the easiest of journeys for the TikTok user.
The maritime business is traditionally dominated by men, and women at the helm of big ships are few and far between.
That is slowly changing, but it is not only the monster waves Rachel May, who goes by @rachelmayatsea, has to confront.
She also has to face an uphill battle when it comes to dated views on women at sea.
Her video is captioned: “You’ll never make it to Captain because you’re a woman.”
It is something she has been told repeatedly and she shakes her head with weary resignation.
But those detractors didn’t bet on her determination, and that’s been helped by a role model who has inspired her.
Captain Kate McCue entered maritime history books in 2015 when she became the first female commanding officer of a mega-ship.
She has paved the way for young women like Rachel who harbor a dream of skippering ships.
She is now chief officer, and describes herself as, “Happiest at sea.”
Her life on board seems to have captivated her fans, too, as she has a whopping 133,000 followers and another 1.5million likes on TikTok.
Rachel’s latest post led to an outpouring of support. Many were inspired, and many others were in awe.
“We need to normalize women in leadership positions,” was the opinion of one fan.
“You are so inspiring to young women and girls,” said another.
A third said: “You ladies are out there encouraging other young ladies that your career choices are not for men exclusively.”
“Love this so much. Go, girl!” another person commented.
There was bewilderment among many people about even the thought that women can’t do male jobs.
“It amazes me in 2021 that this is still a thought process,” one person said.
“Spent 20 years as Captain in the super yacht industry. Owners and industry are very sexist. I hope it’s changing now,” another wrote.
Finally a big thumbs up from a man working in the industry.
“We have quite a few female captains in the towboat industry and they are amazing boat handlers and leaders,” he said.
