Often when these big failures occur we end up with no propulsion. I love to claim to have drifted on the finest vessel in all the planet’s oceans. When the propulsion fails the vessel becomes very quiet. On one such occasion we were drifting in eerie silence when we heard footsteps, a door slammed, more footsteps, another door and yet more footsteps until the Chief Engineer appeared on the bridge and breathlessly informed us. “Engines have stopped”. Apparently in his horror he had totally forgotten about the telephone system not to mention that we might have noticed anyway.


Q7. You were an early adopter of the IMCA eCMID accreditation programme and one of just a handful of women from the 400 plus who have achieved the standard so far. In your opinion, how has objectively matching an inspector’s skills against set criteria helped to improve the offshore inspection sector?


I think it’s a good idea to have the inspector’s skills audited before they are accredited as it has improved the reputation of the inspection.


Q8. What are the key differences between conducting a traditional survey versus being an eCMID inspector performing a vessel audit?


Control and flexibility – In a traditional survey you are much more in control of the document and can easily adapt it to suit the different parts of recording the survey. For instance, it may make the document more user friendly if you can use a table to present your data – this is not an option in the e-CMID. Every time you leave something out to fit the prescribed matrix you are compromising the value of the survey and the quality of the final document.


Valletta, Malta The Report • June 2018 • Issue 84 | 78


Q 9. How easy is it for a woman to make her mark in the world of marine surveying these days compared with yesteryear would you say?


When I am on a vessel I am a surveyor and the fact I am a woman is not relevant. I have always been treated with utmost respect and have never encountered any problems. Strangely when I first go on a vessel where they do not know me I invariably get a technical interview – to see if I know what I am doing. I am not sure if this relates to being a woman or just because I am someone they do not know, but my male colleagues do not seem to experience this.


Before starting Dynamic Surveys with Captain Hugh Raynor, I worked with another survey company and was based in Singapore. Quite suddenly they relocated me to their Europe office. I complained about the short notice and not getting a chance to ship my stuff back. They instructed me to take it as excess baggage. Eleven cases, a 32 inch TV and myself prepared to go home to my beloved Malta. As it happened my young daughter had joined me for the last week in Singapore and we left on the same night, she returning to UK. At her departure gate British Airways would not let her take two pieces of hand luggage a laptop and her teddy bear so I took the bear. At my departure gate I received a call informing I had to break my journey home and do a survey on a cable ship in Abu Dhabi. I have to tell you its hard enough establishing credibility as a female surveyor on an Arabic ship and bringing eleven pieces of luggage, a 32 inch TV and a teddy bear does not help!


Q 10. What advice would you give to young, upcoming surveyors of either sex as they learn their craft in a rapidly evolving technologically driven world?


Don’t do it unless you really want to. It’s a very hard way to earn a living and is definitely more of a vocation than a job.


Q 11. When your work is done for the day, how do you like to spend your leisure time?


I am very involved with my local church. I have served as church warden for some years now and find it very rewarding. I see a lot of the Christian standards in my church reflected in the crew of the vessels I work on. Whilst many of the crew members are not Christians they care for one another, look after each other and work together for a common good. On vessels you never seem to see the interracial or cross religion strife you so often see on land.


Q 12. What are the key attractions on living on the island of Malta that you would recommend to other people?


Malta is beautiful, warm, safe and you only have to scratch the surface to find layers of history, but its real hidden treasure is the people. They have an interdependent culture, which means they look after each other. Extended families are in constant contact, neighbours there for each other. In fact, not unlike being on a ship but a little bigger. I bless every day I spend in Malta.


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