Ursula Smith A day in the life of... MIIMS


Based in Malta, Ursula has been a long-standing member of the Institute and remains one of relatively few female members in a marine sector still dominated by men. But as Ursula reveals in this interview, this fact has not put her off as she has gone on to fulfil a childhood dream of ‘playing with boats’.


Q1. Let’s start with the inevitable question that others may well have asked. You are a well-respected and successful woman in a sector of the marine industry that is dominated by men. What attracted you to surveying and what was your route into the profession?


Ever since I was a child I have always wanted to play on boats but in those days many doors were closed to women. As I grew up I managed to prise a few open. I trained as a radio officer at the Merchant Navy College, Greenhithe and during my career have undertaken most roles relating to the sea. In 2006 I was made redundant from two jobs on the same day and suddenly had cash and time to fulfil a long-held ambition to be a marine surveyor. I have been pretty much always safe on boats and this is in no way small thanks to the hard work and integrity of surveyors. I felt it was pay back time I wanted to do my bit to make the crews, vessels and the environment safer. A year of hard work with IIMS gained me my diploma, one of the first awarded to a woman, which was a good basis for learning the skills to be a surveyor.


The Report • June 2018 • Issue 84 | 76


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