Recent Stories
How You Can Empower Women at Sea
Ways to Empower Women Working at Sea: A Guide for Allies Empower women by maintaining an inclusive environment on your vessel. Today, countries and organizations around the world celebrate World Maritime Day. Under the theme, "Empowering Women in the Maritime...
What to Expect During Your First Time Working Offshore
Are you heading offshore soon for the first time? Below, learn what to expect when you depart for your vessel! Over the course of my offshore career, I have bounced around to almost ten different offshore drilling rigs. Each one became home for a period of time in my...
Breaking Barriers in Maritime: The Story of Subsea Expert Vicki Corso
In her nearly 40 years in the oil and gas industry, subsea expert Vicki Corso shares how she navigated her career, achieving quite a few firsts as a woman in engineering. It is March 2004 on board the Marco Polo, a tension leg platform, and construction is underway....
Redefining Safety Offshore: Ensuring Women’s Wellbeing at Sea
Safety, the s-word; it is everywhere in our industry. Just add the s-word and things will be good to go, right? Wrong. This methodology, using “safety” everywhere without understanding what it truly means for keeping people safe is dangerous, in itself. I want to...
Doing Their Part: Sadie O. Horton and the Coastwise Mariners in WWII
By 1942, during what would later be referred to as the “Second Happy Time”, German U-boats sank more tonnage than the United States could produce. Lurking off the Eastern seaboard, U-boats were a real threat to our ability to ship finished goods and raw material to...
A Day in the Life of a Puget Sound Pilot
Below, read a day in the life of Captain Peter Giese, a Puget Sound Pilot, and get ready for the upcoming Pilot Exam from the Washington State Board of Pilot Commissioners! "It all starts with a call from dispatch with my job assignment details. Let's say I'm...
Featured Sea Stories
CARI SIMON – TITLE IX ATTORNEY, EPISODE 147
In today’s episode, Christine MacMillan speaks with Cari Simon, who is one of the nation’s leading Title IX attorneys representing survivors of sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, and sexual harassment in University and K–12 settings nationwide. She is a...
FAMILY PLANNING AND FERTILITY PRESERVATION WITH DR. BENJAMIN LANNON, EPISODE 143
In today’s episode, Christine MacMillan speaks with Dr. Benjamin Lannon about family planning in the maritime industry and fertility preservation. Dr. Lannon is double board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology/Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He...
IVF JOURNEY WITH KAMI AND ALLY, EPISODE 142
In today’s episode, Ally Cedeno speaks with Kami Bucholz who is a 2008 graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and is an Unlimited Master Mariner. She has worked in research, chemical, petroleum, Ro/Ro, towing, and aerospace vessels in her career. She sits on...
Jenny Johnson – Maritime Inclusion Partners, Episode 139
In today’s episode, Christine MacMillan speaks with Jenny Johnson, who is a certified HR professional with an extensive background in DEI unique to the maritime industry. Jenny has 20+ years of maritime experience, including at sea and ashore. She fiercely advocates...
SAL MERCOGLIANO – THE STORY OF ROBERT SMALLS AND THE PLANTER, EPISODE 138
In today’s episode, Christine MacMillan speaks with Sal Mercogliano, Chair of the Department of History, Criminal Justice, and Political Science at Campbell University. He is also an adjunct professor at US Merchant Marine Academy and a former merchant mariner....
BECKY NEWDICK – SAFER WAVES ORGANIZATION, EPISODE 135
In today’s episode, Christine MacMillan speaks with Becky Newdick from Safer Waves Organization, where she founded this organization in 2019 for merchant seafarers who have experienced sexual assault, sexual harassment, or gender discrimination on board to have a...
Navigate Your Career
Building Strong Relationships with Mentors Offshore: How to Overcome Conflicts
I have hit roadblocks and stalemates this past year, not just in my career, but in life, each affecting the other immensely. I had reached a point in my personal life where I was asking family and friends all the time to be a sounding board for my maritime queries,...
Organization of Black Maritime Graduates
Get to know an organization making a HUGE impact in the maritime industry, the Organization of Black Maritime Graduates. Founded in 1994, the Organization of Black Maritime Graduates (OBMG) has improved education opportunities for underserved students seeking careers...
2021 Women in Maritime Leadership Conference
March 4-5, 2021, attend Cal Maritime's Women in Maritime Leadership Conference virtually! Now in its tenth year, California Maritime Academy's Women in Maritime Leadership Conference supports the success of women in maritime. The 2021 virtual conference will deliver a...
The Secret to Successful Mentoring in Maritime: Insights from Captain Jessie Shifalo
To reduce the gender gap, Women Offshore connects women seeking mentoring with experienced seafarers. Our mentor program, the Women Offshore MentorSHIP, virtually connects both mentors and mentees working in maritime, both onshore and offshore. This program is open to...
How to Combat the Bystander Effect in the Maritime Industry
On the second day of the Women Offshore Conference, a two-part workshop brought together attendees to talk about an overarching concept in the industry that does not affect just women, but all mariners; bystander intervention. Throughout the sessions, hosted by Ally...
What I Learned on Day 2, Women Offshore Conference
Day 2 started much like the first day. Pen, pad, ready, set, go! On October 9th, it was the second day of the Women Offshore Conference. Just like the first day, I was ready to extend my network virtually, learn from the speakers, and engage in a workshop. I took...
Podcast
VINEETA DHILLON SPEAKS ABOUT THE WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, EPISODE 192
Join us on today's podcast as Christine MacMillan engages in a heartfelt conversation with Vineeta Dhillon, a remarkable woman whose journey from India to the USA in 1986 is a testament to resilience and determination. Currently calling California home, Vineeta has...
CASSIDY PATTON AND THE ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY SYSTEM, EPISODE 191
On today's episode, Christine gets to speak with Cassidy Patton from Ketchikan, Alaska, who grew up in a fishing community that inspired her to seek out a career at sea. She shares all about the Alaska Marine Highway System, along with diving into her interesting...
NAVIGATING WAVES: RENA NAVARRO’S JOURNEY FROM EDUCATOR TO CAPTAIN, EPISODE 190
Set sail with us on another captivating journey in the Women Offshore community! Today, we're thrilled to introduce Rena Navarro, a mariner whose passion for the sea knows no bounds. Join us as Rena, a USCG Certified Instructor, Captain, and Old Boat Enthusiast, takes...
CONFRONTING SKEPTICISM AT WOMEN OFFSHORE, EPISODE 189
Dive into an inspiring tale of resilience and determination with today's episode of the Women Offshore podcast! President Ally Cedeno takes us behind the scenes, revealing the untold challenges she encountered while laying the foundation of this remarkable...
TRACI LANGFORD FROM LAPCO ON WOMEN’S SAFETY CLOTHING, EPISODE 188
In the latest Women Offshore podcast episode, Christine dives into a captivating conversation with Traci Langford, a powerhouse from the leading Louisiana apparel company, LAPCO. Discover the story behind LAPCO's fire-resistant apparel line and hear Traci's firsthand...
CHANGING AND GROWING IN 2024 WITH MAX AND CHRISTINE, EPISODE 187
Dive into the latest Women Offshore podcast episode as our remarkable Women Offshore Ambassador, Max Kantor, returns for an engaging chat with Christine about navigating change and personal growth in the new year. Max and Christine not only share invaluable advice on...
WOMEN OFFSHORE MENTORSHIP!
Offshore Lifestyle
Setting Boundaries Offshore: How Women Can Maintain Work-Life Balance
“The word boundaries is scary,” mused the executive consultant sitting next to me. “Perhaps there’s a less emotional word you can use.” We were chatting about how best to frame the workshop that I had developed for women in masculine professional environments. Sitting...
Challenges Faced by Women in the Maritime Industry: Overcoming Obstacles
This article was published in BP's July 2016 issue of Horizon Magazine. I’ve been with BP since 2002. Since then, I’ve held field-based roles in Colorado, New Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico and Angola, and spent extensive time in the field in West Texas, Republic of...
Step Up and Stand In – How to Advocate for Your Development
Sometimes moving your development forward can be a bit like jumping on a moving sidewalk or a ski lift. You have to line yourself up and pick up the pace before you can jump on board, and for many of us, those moments can be a bit jarring. We’ve all heard that our...
From Disney to Drillships: What I learned about Public Speaking
If you are 0.001% of the human population, you absolutely love public speaking. For the rest of us humans, we tolerate it ONLY if necessary. 'Use what you've got.' But for those of us who want to go places and for those who are ready and willing to stand out, we must...
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