Last year, while citing data for a grant, I encountered disturbing figures about female representation in ocean careers. I nodded along with the abysmal statistics, intimately familiar and frankly not surprised; women constitute a mere 38% of the planet’s marine scientists, and earn an embarrassing 64 cents on the dollar compared to men’s wages in aquaculture.
When I read the 2019 United Nations number that women comprise a dreadfully low 2% of the 1.2 million seafarers worldwide, my jaw dropped to the bottom of the seafloor and I don’t think I’ve picked it up since. A seafarer is a sailor, or someone whose occupation involves handling or navigating a ship. It’s commonly referred to as ‘seaman,’ but for obvious reasons, we’re striking that title from this column and hopefully this earth.
Darci Bogdan at the helm in Monterey Bay. Darci Bogdan/Contributed.I know a portion of that 2%, some unapologetic and indefatigable female captains in Monterey Bay whom you will now become acquainted with; Darci Bogdan, Marina Maze, Helen Christianson and April Jernberg.
Marina Maze has worked in the Santa Cruz harbor for a decade and is the new kid on the block. Just having completed the grueling requirements for her Master 50 Ton license, she beams, “I got so much encouragement to take that next step from the people I work with, which was monumental.”
Support and guidance are crucial to the process. Maze explains, “There’s a lot of details that go into it; getting a physical, passing a drug test, acquiring a permit to operate a marine radio, attaining a Transportation Worker Identification Credential, passing an 80-hour course, and obtaining a certain number of days on board a ship of similar size that you want to drive. The hardest part is getting time on the water. My license required 720 days at sea, which can take years to build if you’re only working seasonally.”
Darci Bogdan, who at age 27 became the first female captain for the Chardonnay, holds a Master 50 Ton license and has worked in the seafaring industry for the entirety of her career. She concurs that access is a huge barrier. Bogdan adds, “This industry tends to be passed down from generation to generation. Boating is very expensive. Without access, you can’t learn and it’s incredibly challenging to get a job on a boat without experience.”
Both Maze and Bogdan’s passion for the ocean began at a young age. “I remember being a little girl and knowing I loved boats, but I never thought it could be my job because you don’t often see women in these roles,” says Maze. Bogdan chimes in, “I don’t remember seeing women on the cover of magazines, books, on television, or in movies revolving around water sports and boats, or where they were a leading role and not a love interest.”
Helen Christianson is a Boulder Creek native who holds both a Master 50 Ton for inland waters and a “6-pac” for coastal. “There’s nothing about captaining a boat that requires you to be male,” says Christianson. “I think women may view captains as having this unattainable and immense bravery, maybe from watching ‘Deadliest Catch.’ In reality, it just takes some refined skill and some serious time getting to know the wind and the ocean.”
April Jernberg formerly worked for the USDA and as an agricultural school teacher. She earned her 50 Ton license as a means to pursue a lifelong dream of independently and confidently “cruising around the ocean for a few years.” Jernberg tells me that without female captains to look up to, mentorship can be lacking. “There are no women captains that I know of in Santa Cruz that have been in the industry the same length as my male mentors,” Jernberg says. “The handful of young female captains and sailors in the harbor stick together and help each other. But it’s not the same. I hope to change this for future generations of women sailors.”
Jernberg, Maze, Christianson and Bogdan shared nearly-identical stories of sexism in the workplace, commonly centered around the assumption that they are not capable of their job responsibilities.
“There’s this sense of surprise when we hoist the mainsail. While we might get cheers for being strong, sometimes it comes from a foundation of shock that we can do it in the first place,” recounts Maze. Bogdan adds, “I often get overlooked when passengers assume that male crewmembers are the captain, addressing them instead of me. Men ask me time and time again whether or not I’m ‘able to drive this thing’ and make backhanded comments about my ability to park the boat safely.” Bogdan has even had private charters request a male captain after finding out that a woman was driving.
Christianson ponders, “Sometimes I think that working on boats has pushed me to become a more militant feminist. I’ve spent a lot of time very angry after work.” She continues, “Everything from men calling me ‘honey’ and ‘cutie,’ to the classic ‘why don’t they get the guy to raise that mainsail?’ to disgusting men trying to pull me into their laps while I’m working. I’ve learned how to put off a vibe that might not have gotten me the best tips, but it’s led to less harassment.” Jernberg has opted against applying for certain notorious maritime positions abroad due to fear of assault.
All of these captains stress the significance of mutual motivation and becoming the role models they wished they’d had. “A cohort of women in the Santa Cruz harbor got their captains licenses within a year of one another, and it’s inspiring to see more women making this move,” says Maze. “I would absolutely encourage women to pursue this career. It’s my mission to teach other women in order to help lift them up. Despite the obvious sexism, I’ve been very lucky to be surrounded by such a supportive community, including my male counterparts,” says Bogdan.
Jernberg, Maze, Bogdan and Christianson believe they are part of a necessary change. “I feel proud,” says Christianson. “People are curious about how I got to where I am and many have been stoked to see a woman behind the helm.”
Bogdan said she can’t imagine being anywhere else. She concludes, “I love the freedom and the infinite horizon, the adventure, the sunsets, the ability to gain a new perspective, and the smile on passengers’ faces when they experience all of those things with me.”
Rachel Kippen is an ocean educator and sustainability advocate in Santa Cruz County and can be reached at singleuseplanet@gmail.com.
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