[ HAWAII AT WORK ]
RUSS LYNCH / RLYNCH@STARBULLETIN.COM
Woman’s job
never done at seaMatson ship’s captain
Katharine Sweeney works
two months at a stretchI am a ship's captain for Matson Navigation Co. I just brought its newest ship, the MV Manukai, from the shipyard in Philadelphia and through the Panama Canal. Then we took on cargo in Long Beach, Calif., and brought her here.
When I was a child, I was fascinated by these big pieces of metal that float and by the container cranes near where I was growing up in Oakland, Calif.
When I found out you could go to school to do this and it meant six months of the year off, I signed up.
We work two months on, two months off. When you're on it's 24/7. On the ship, you're dealing with many things related to the crew or cargo. If something goes wrong, you have to fix it.
If someone gets sick, you take them to the doctor -- except there is no doctor on the ship. The first mate and I are emergency medical technicians. We've also got a ship's medical service we can reach by phone, and we can also send pictures of rashes or unusual conditions. We're well-stocked with hospital supplies.
You can't go home at the end of the day and complain to your significant other. You just have to find a way to get along on your own. I'm lucky that I've got a great crew -- that makes a significant difference.
I went to school for four years and got a bachelor's degree in science, after which I earned my Coast Guard license. I received my captain's license in 1995 and sailed on it in 1999. My career has actually had really great timing. After I completed school, the Gulf War occurred, and that opened up a lot of work.
There aren't many woman captains. It's very hard to get into the industry and a lot of women leave to have children. Some have children and continue to go to sea, but that's difficult. It has kept our ranks down.
I love the ocean. Once things settle down, you have a little time for yourself.
The hardest part is being away from your family. I'm engaged, and one of the best things about taking the Manukai job is that I finally have a schedule. Now that I'm headed for vacation, my fiancé and I can set a wedding date.
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