The Maiden’s all-female crew aims to inspire as ship sails into Saint John
An ocean-racing yacht boasting an all-female crew is making her only Canadian stop in Saint John, N.B.
The eight-woman crew is sailing the high seas for adventure and to inspire other women and girls.
The Maiden is currently in the middle of her three-year tour.
The female crew members work hard not only sailing the ship, but in spreading their message as they aim to inspire more women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
“We’re trying to raise awareness to equal access to education and promote girls into subjects or to stay in them, because when they come to a certain age, they tend to shy away from STEM subjects and it becomes a male-dominated subject,” says Liz Wardley, skipper of the Maiden.
The eight sailors come from all over the world. Junella King, of Antigua, has advanced from apprentice to crew member.
“On board just sailing, being with a lot of experienced sailors, that’s the advantage of this job,” King said.
For fellow crew member Marie Ostrand, it’s her first time sailing with any female colleagues at all.
“Most of the boats I’ve sailed on in the past have been predominantly male-dominated crews, which has been great and there’s nothing wrong with that, but there’s definitely something different about being on an all-female crew,” Ostrand said.
While there are few challenges the crew can’t handle, the motion of the ocean is a different story.
“I do get seasick,” King admits. “That’s the biggest challenge so far.”
For Wardley, the most difficult part is keeping the vessel on schedule.
“We kind of always need to be somewhere. Making that happen, all the logistics around it, the boat, the crew, the tides, the weather, just trying to juggle everything and at the same time, have fun.”
The 58-foot Maiden will remain docked in Saint John for another week before heading to New York.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.