Print

Mail

wiki links

Female `model' mariner thrives in a life at sea

Huang Chao-ling, a chief mate with Wan Hai Lines, adjusts the route of the Re Chuen Steamer, one of the company's ships, using a nautical chart, in this undated photo. PHOTO PROVIDED BY HUANG CHAO-LING

When she was young, Huang Chao-ling (黃昭玲), a chief mate for the shipping firm Wan Hai Lines, never pictured a career at sea.

Though born and raised in Keelung, the home of the largest port in northern Taiwan, Huang said she didn't know much about the sea then.

"All I knew back then was that I wanted to study in a public university," Huang said. "The ships always seemed gigantic to me, and once in a while I fantasized about what it would be like out there [at sea]. Of course I had some misconceptions as well."

Her test scores in the joint college entrance examination, however, helped her enter the merchant marine department of National Taiwan Ocean University. In the summer before she began her sophomore year, she interned at Wan Hai, and decided to work at the company after she graduated.

Unlike most of her female colleagues, who preferred to work on land, Huang chose to work at sea on a regular basis. She eventually worked her way up in the company -- from third mate to the chief mate of a cargo ship -- and has been in charge of handling cargo transportation to countries in East Asia.

As a young woman working in an environment dominated mainly by middle-aged males, Huang says her ability has been questioned by some senior colleagues.

"They will always say something behind your back, it's inevitable," she said. "But you can also prove that you can do it, and even better than they can."

Huang's efforts won recognition from her supervisors as well as the National Association of Chinese Shipowners.

At a ceremony to celebrate National Maritime Day last Wednesday, the association gave her the Model Mariner of the Year Award.

The award was created for those who make a special contribution to the maritime industry.

According to the association, Huang was the first female chief mate to earn that honor.

Davis Kao (高國隆), Wan Hai's vice president in the marine department and one of Huang's supervisors, said the company decided to nominate her for this year's award because she always turned in a detailed report on the amount of equipment that was still in stock on the ship.

"If she believes that something on the ship absolutely needs to be changed, such as twist locks that hold in place two stacked containers, she will even take pictures and show you exactly what happened," Kao said. "It gets to the point where you just can't say `no' to her."

In the past six years, Huang's job has taken her to almost every country in Southeast Asia. Recently she has been in charge of lines to Singapore and South Korea.

The route to Singapore passes near the Malacca Strait, a vital chokepoint in global shipping that is also home to many pirates. Luckily, Huang hasn't encountered any so far.

"You are through once you let [a pirate] climb onto the ship," she said, adding that they stay on alert for any suspicious speedboats that might try to approach the ship.

Huang is the youngest child in her family and the only one among her siblings that works in the maritime industry.

Her parents opposed her career choice at the beginning, but they eventually gave in -- convinced by the six-digit salary she earns each month and the opportunities that are available to her within the company.

Despite her achievements, Huang said the working environment on the ship could be difficult for some.

"I would not recommend the job to anyone who is not independent enough, or does not have the ability to deal with stress," she said.
This story has been viewed 2865 times.