While many people pack their beach bags for summer, Stine Marie Eliassen spends her weeks where she feels most at home – deep down in the engine room of the trawler Gadus Njord.
For Stine Marie, her career choice was never a coincidence. Already at the age of 13, she had decided on her path, and today she is well on her way to realising her dream as an apprentice marine engine mechanic, ensuring that all technical systems on board the large vessel operate exactly as they should.
Her interest in mechanics and life at sea was quite literally nurtured from an early age. Her father works as a repair technician at the workshop in Stamsund, and as a child she often accompanied him on board boats. In the afternoons, while her mother was working at the hospital, the family garage became a regular meeting place for father and daughter.
– We did everything from carpentry to fixing mopeds, so hands-on work has always felt completely natural to me.
As an apprentice, she now spends long periods at sea – often five weeks at a time – which requires a certain adjustment to everyday life.
– Being away from home for so long is a bit special. Staying in touch with people on shore naturally becomes even more important when you live on a trawler for extended periods. You have to call home for some comfort now and then, she says with a smile, adding that she quickly found her rhythm at sea.
The fishing and maritime industries are still heavily male-dominated, and Stine Marie is usually the only woman on her shift. For the most part, she finds this unproblematic. Still, she occasionally notices that people are surprised to see her when the vessel is docked.
– Not everyone expects a young woman to come up from the engine room in coveralls and hearing protection when we’re alongside the quay. I find that to be quite fun. It’s satisfying to be able to prove them wrong.
She finds it is important to disprove expectations and show that she masters the job just as well as anyone else on board. She is also convinced that better gender balance has a direct positive impact on everyday life and the working environment on the trawler.
– I really believe it’s important that more women choose these kinds of professions. It helps neutralise and balance the environment a bit. When there are only men on board for weeks at a time, the tone and humour can easily become rough and ingrained. The men tend to soften their way of speaking when women are present, she laughs.
Stine Marie has now spent just over a year and a half as an apprentice, and the goal she set for herself as a teenager is clearly within reach. Her future plans are already firmly in place, and the apprenticeship is only the first step in a longer educational journey.
– I’m going to become a marine engineer. To get the necessary certification to work on a vessel of this size, I need to complete two more years of schooling after my apprenticeship.
She hopes her own experiences can inspire more young women to take the leap into a maritime career. Her clear advice to anyone considering the ocean as a workplace is not to hesitate:
– If you want to work at sea, you just have to go for it. You need a bit of grit, the courage to show what you’re capable of, and the strength to handle it.