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It was a workday like any other for Hailey McIntyre and Ocean Rutherford of SAAM Towage when they set off up the coast on their tugboat. However, the 3-day trip from Prince Rupert, BC, to Stewart, BC, to assist in docking and undocking a ship became the first all-female tugboat crew in the over 70-year history of their company.
Growing up in Prince Rupert and attending elementary school together, Hailey and Ocean kept in touch over the years, especially once they ended up on the same career path.
"We'd always check in with each other throughout our careers over the last ten years," says Hailey. "When I came to SAAM Towage, I told Ocean she had to join me. Anybody can do it. It used to be a boy's club, but not anymore."
- Hailey & Ocean on the tug wearing the HIT Inflatable Work Vest
While the women arrived at the same place, they came to their mariner jobs differently. Although Ocean has always been drawn to the water and comes from a family of boat builders, this career wasn't on her radar. It wasn't until she travelled to New Zealand at 19 and took a whale-watching tour crewed by women that she began considering it. The experience opened her eyes to what was possible for women at sea. After returning to Prince Rupert and working at the local pool, she took an opportunity to go commercial fishing and hasn't looked back. She has also worked for the Canadian Coast Guard, a whale-watching company, before becoming a deckhand at SAAM Towage.
On the other hand, Hailey recalls playing by the water as a kid, seeing the tugboats and thinking that's what she wanted to do. She comes by her love of the ocean naturally; her great-grandmother owned her own gillnetter in the 1940s. A sea cadet from ages 12-19, Hailey learned radios, first aid, and small boating before becoming a sailing instructor. After high school graduation, she volunteered with Search and Rescue to get more sea time and training. She also worked for a whale-watching tour company, two port authorities, and a spill response company. When she got a call to say that SAAM Towage was hiring, she flew home to interview. She started working there as a deckhand engineer five years ago and is now a captain.
Hailey's biggest stepping stone came when the Port Authority hired her in Prince Rupert and supported her in getting her 60-ton ticket. Hailey studied locally at Capps Marine in Prince Rupert for many of her smaller tickets and completed quite a few through Western Maritime Institute in Ladysmith. As many people in the marine industry live remotely or quite a distance from the necessary training hubs, students can challenge Transport Canada exams. Due to this, the industry has built up a tight-knit community that helps each other by sharing course notes and working collectively towards the same goals.
"Everyone's very supportive, and they want to see everybody thrive," says Hailey.
Friends and family often ask her when she will finish her education, but Hailey doesn't see an end to it. She could continue earning her tickets until she's running cruise ships or super yachts.
"I'm going to be in school for the rest of my life," says Hailey. "I'm not going to stop; I'm just going to keep going out for that next ticket."
Ocean's parents ask her the same thing. Currently, she has earned her Captain's ticket but is content being a deckhand. She's keen to learn the ropes from other people until she feels ready to move on.
-Ocean on deck in the Women's Taku Waterproof jacket & HIT Inflatable Work Vest
Today, working on tugboats is one of the most stable careers in the marine industry, which is a dream come true for Ocean.
"When I was fishing, I could be away for five or six months at a time," says Ocean. "Working on tugboats offers me the ability to work on the water but be home with my dog and family more consistently."
Ocean lives in a small island community called Dodge Cove, across the water from Prince Rupert. In her downtime, she uses the boat her brother—who is carrying on the family tradition—built for her to explore islands and beach comb, watch sunsets, and enjoy the ruggedness of British Columbia's north coast.
Where Ocean prefers a regular schedule, Hailey works on-call, sometimes making life quite hectic. When she does have days off, she hikes, mountain and dirt bikes, volunteer coaches for kids' sports, kayaks, and fishes. One day, she dreams of owning a jet boat and hitting the Skeena River.
Women are still a minority in the marine industry, but the ones who are there make a difference for others. Hailey paved the way for Ocean to start at SAAM Towage, and this kind of support helps other women get a leg up in the industry.
Over a decade ago, Hailey had the opportunity to experience tugs. The men working on the boat told her she would never be able to do the job, but she persevered because she knew it was what she wanted to do. Nowadays, many of those people have retired and have been replaced with more inclusive-thinking ones.
"Truly, I haven't come across anyone in our workplace at SAAM Towage who has singled us out in any way," says Ocean. “What I tell people is that if a company isn't hiring women, it might not be a healthy place for men to work either."
Both Hailey and Ocean are passionate about making marine careers visible and attainable for women. Hailey makes herself available to talk to anyone interested in a marine career. She's happy to answer questions and share her experience. Ocean wrote a children's book, illustrated by Oceana Wills, that tells the story of a young woman searching the high seas for her 'Prince Captain,' who instead finds empowerment when she realizes she's the captain of her own life.
-Ocean & Hailey cruising the harbour in the Khimera Dual Flotation PFD
As much as the media celebrated their historic work trip, Ocean and Hailey are uninterested in personal fanfare.
"Instead, it's about how proud we are to have been a part of it and to show to other people that there's a space for everyone on the water these days, no matter who you are," says Ocean.
Author: Danielle Baker
