Recent Stories
Resilience: The Most Important Skill No Maritime Professional Can Sail Without
By Dr. Anna Weerakoon KarunatillekeDBA (UoK), MBA (PIM-USJ), MarENG Class III (CINEC), FIOASD, MILT, MIMarEST. When people think about the maritime industry, they often picture ships, engines, ports, and life at sea. But behind every successful maritime professional...
MITAGS Launches No-Cost Deck Study & Plotting Pack Initiative for Maryland Mariners
Finding Purpose Beyond the Uniform
By Ade Solorzano When I first started my career as a deck officer, I believed success had a very clear definition: earn my license, gain sea time, move up in rank, and become the best officer I could be. Like many seafarers, my life revolved around contracts,...
Pride at Sea: Why Visibility Matters in Maritime
Every mariner's path into the industry is different. Some grow up around ports and vessels. Others discover maritime careers later in life, often by chance. For Wes Clanton, the journey began with a love of the water and a desire to try something new. Today, Wes...
From Kindergarten to Pilotage: Two Mariners, One Goal, and a Career Built on Persistence
Editor's Note: This article is adapted from a story originally published in the BPC Pilotage Quarterly – Winter 2026 Special Edition by the Washington State Board of Pilotage Commissioners. The original article shared the journey of Captains Joel Michelson and Harlow...
Building a Career at Sea with Ade Tiznado Solorzano
Maritime careers rarely follow a straight path. Every vessel, operation, and crew presents new challenges and opportunities for growth. In Episode 259 of the Women Offshore Podcast, we sit down with Women Offshore Ambassador Ade Tiznado Solorzano, a Merchant Navy Deck...
Featured Sea Stories
Maritime Leadership with a Mission Featuring Captain Neil Daboul from Mercy Ships
Maritime careers can take professionals around the world, but for some, they also become a way to serve communities far beyond the shipping industry. In this episode of the Women Offshore Podcast, we sit down with Captain Neil Daboul, whose four decades at sea have...
Resilience: The Most Important Skill No Maritime Professional Can Sail Without
By Dr. Anna Weerakoon KarunatillekeDBA (UoK), MBA (PIM-USJ), MarENG Class III (CINEC), FIOASD, MILT, MIMarEST. When people think about the maritime industry, they often picture ships, engines, ports, and life at sea. But behind every successful maritime professional...
Finding Purpose Beyond the Uniform
By Ade Solorzano When I first started my career as a deck officer, I believed success had a very clear definition: earn my license, gain sea time, move up in rank, and become the best officer I could be. Like many seafarers, my life revolved around contracts,...
Pride at Sea: Why Visibility Matters in Maritime
Every mariner's path into the industry is different. Some grow up around ports and vessels. Others discover maritime careers later in life, often by chance. For Wes Clanton, the journey began with a love of the water and a desire to try something new. Today, Wes...
Insights from Successful Mariners in Offshore Careers
The offshore industry asks a lot of the people who choose it. Long rotations. Demanding work. Time away from home. It is not an easy path, and for many, it can feel like you are figuring it out on your own. At Women Offshore, we hear that often. We also see something...
Women Offshore Ambassador Zanele Mthembu, a Navigation Officer working in the oil and chemical tanker industry
Zanele Mthembu has built her career navigating the demands of the oil and chemical tanker industry, where precision, safety, and decision making under pressure are part of daily life. As a Navigation Officer, her work centers on vessel operations, maritime safety, and...
Navigate Your Career
MITAGS Launches No-Cost Deck Study & Plotting Pack Initiative for Maryland Mariners
Finding Purpose Beyond the Uniform
By Ade Solorzano When I first started my career as a deck officer, I believed success had a very clear definition: earn my license, gain sea time, move up in rank, and become the best officer I could be. Like many seafarers, my life revolved around contracts,...
Pride at Sea: Why Visibility Matters in Maritime
Every mariner's path into the industry is different. Some grow up around ports and vessels. Others discover maritime careers later in life, often by chance. For Wes Clanton, the journey began with a love of the water and a desire to try something new. Today, Wes...
What Nearly 20 Years in Recruiting Can Teach Us About Building Careers
Behind every job posting is a hiring decision. Behind every hiring decision is a person evaluating experience, potential, leadership, and fit. In this episode of the Women Offshore Podcast, we sit down with Shasta Kahoalii, Founder of Athena Talent Group, to discuss...
Building a Career at Sea with Ade Tiznado Solorzano
Maritime careers rarely follow a straight path. Every vessel, operation, and crew presents new challenges and opportunities for growth. In Episode 259 of the Women Offshore Podcast, we sit down with Women Offshore Ambassador Ade Tiznado Solorzano, a Merchant Navy Deck...
Women Offshore Ambassador Zanele Mthembu, a Navigation Officer working in the oil and chemical tanker industry
Zanele Mthembu has built her career navigating the demands of the oil and chemical tanker industry, where precision, safety, and decision making under pressure are part of daily life. As a Navigation Officer, her work centers on vessel operations, maritime safety, and...
Podcast
Maritime Leadership with a Mission Featuring Captain Neil Daboul from Mercy Ships
Maritime careers can take professionals around the world, but for some, they also become a way to serve communities far beyond the shipping industry. In this episode of the Women Offshore Podcast, we sit down with Captain Neil Daboul, whose four decades at sea have...
Women Offshore Turns Nine: Momentum, Milestones and What’s Next
In episode 263, Women Offshore is turning nine, and Executive Director Liz Schmidt is here to celebrate with energy, gratitude, and a look at what’s ahead. This anniversary episode highlights the growth of our global community, the programs shaping mariners’ careers,...
Reading the Sea Through Data with Michela Monteverde
Every vessel leaves behind more than a wake—it leaves behind data. In this episode of the Women Offshore Podcast, we sit down with Michela Monteverde, founder of HarborFlow, to discuss how maritime intelligence is helping the industry better understand vessel...
From Sea to Screen: Using Data to Transform Maritime Operations
The maritime industry generates enormous amounts of data every day. From vessel performance and fuel consumption to port operations and supply chain logistics, information is constantly being collected. The challenge is knowing how to use it effectively. In Episode...
What Nearly 20 Years in Recruiting Can Teach Us About Building Careers
Behind every job posting is a hiring decision. Behind every hiring decision is a person evaluating experience, potential, leadership, and fit. In this episode of the Women Offshore Podcast, we sit down with Shasta Kahoalii, Founder of Athena Talent Group, to discuss...
Building a Career at Sea with Ade Tiznado Solorzano
Maritime careers rarely follow a straight path. Every vessel, operation, and crew presents new challenges and opportunities for growth. In Episode 259 of the Women Offshore Podcast, we sit down with Women Offshore Ambassador Ade Tiznado Solorzano, a Merchant Navy Deck...
WOMEN OFFSHORE MENTORSHIP!
Offshore Lifestyle
Finding Purpose Beyond the Uniform
By Ade Solorzano When I first started my career as a deck officer, I believed success had a very clear definition: earn my license, gain sea time, move up in rank, and become the best officer I could be. Like many seafarers, my life revolved around contracts,...
Finding Each Other Offshore: Why One Mariner Built a Forum for Connection
Time offshore can be isolating. Long hitches, rotating crews, and limited communication with people back home are part of the job. Especially for those in the queer community, the maritime industry can often feel isolating and alone. But for some mariners, that...
Start Here
Start Here: Navigating Your Career with Women Offshore Leadership For many mariners entering the industry, the biggest challenge isn’t just getting started—it’s knowing where to find guidance along the way. In this episode of the Women Offshore Podcast, Executive...
Love Is in the Sea Air
There’s something about salt air that makes everything feel more honest. Maybe it’s the way the wind strips things down to what matters. Maybe it’s the long watches, the night skies offshore, or the quiet moments leaning on a rail at sunrise. Out here, relationships...
Surviving the Holidays at Sea: Finding Joy Far From Shore
For many mariners, the holiday season is not spent around a family table, beside a decorated tree, or bundled up against winter traditions. Instead, it unfolds across steel decks, long shifts, ocean horizons, and time zones that blur together. Yet even far from shore,...
Ask an Ambassador
By Christine MacMillan | Women Offshore Blog | Podcast Episode 247 In Episode 247 of the Women Offshore Podcast, we’re sharing the audio from a previously recorded Ask an Ambassador event hosted by Women Offshore Executive Director Liz Schmidt. This conversation...
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