A First Mate's Role - A Woman's Perspective

I am Mary, the First Mate of the trawler, the Patricia Ann.  I jokingly call myself the Admiral because any decision the Captain makes can be overruled by me but we are usually a good team and in agreement.   A yacht is a small city afloat.  There are at least two power generation systems, both alternating and direct currents and maybe a wind and solar system on some boats, a waste treatment system, hotel accommodations to allow the crew to sleep and rest, food preparation systems (electrical or propane), food storage systems (freezers and refrigeration), navigational systems to allow the yacht to move about the “city” and even entertainment systems with movies and concerts. Yes, a yacht is a rather complex system.  Running a boat is a team effort – it would be very difficult for one person to handle and monitor everything. A First Mate’s role is to do anything that the Captain cannot.  The First Mate's role is absolutely critical for safe and enjoyable cruising. As First Mate, I stow everything down below when we are getting ready to cruise (anything that can fall and break while underway) . I also handle the lines when leaving the dock.   I also make sure to hang those lines in their proper place once we get underway.  Our trawler, the Patricia Ann is always ship shape and clutter is NOT an option.  While we are cruising to our destination, I am reading paper charts while the Captain is operating the boat and navigating with the chart plotter and radar.  My role is to navigate and confirm the charts data for the Captain on the electronic version.  We rarely go without both paper and electronic charts. When we reach our destination, I am in charge of lowering the anchor, allowing the Captain to set the hook (anchor) at which time I fasten the bridle.  If we take our dinghy ashore, the Captain runs that the same as he does Patricia Ann and I handle the lines.  It’s just a lot easier on a 10’ boat than a 44’ boat!  When we are ready to leave our anchorage, I bring the hook up, wash the chain and anchor off and secure the pin.  When we arrive back at our slip, I again handle the lines while the Captain guides Patricia Ann right where she should be.  I guess another way to look at it is I am the Captain’s assistant.  Some women might have a problem with that but I don’t.  We know couples whose roles are reversed – whatever works!   Another very important first mate duty is to plan meals and provision.  We both do the actual shopping but I get to plan everything.  I enjoy this part and love the shopping even more!  We both enjoy cooking – my Captain is the grill-king and I am the galley slave, just kidding.  I plan healthy, tasty and easy meals as I don’t want to spend hours in the galley when there are islands to explore!  You can read some of my favorite recipes on the website.   In a clam shell, the Captain on our boat is responsible for maintaining and operating the boat; I am responsible for keeping a clean living environment and for the welfare of the crew. Mary is Vice-President of Paradise Yachts, located in Florida USA and First Mate of the Motor vessel Patricia Ann