High Sea Hazards with CAPT Cynthia Robson

The Adrenaline Zone

High Sea Hazards with CAPT Cynthia Robson

Captain Cynthia Robson finds herself in The Adrenaline Zone today to discuss with Sandy and Sandra the exciting world of operating merchant ships at sea and details from her career in the field. Along the way, she also touches upon such topics as the risks associated with piracy, the challenges of rough weather, and the unique difficulties that come with being a woman in a male-dominated industry. The complexity of operating different types of ships, the benefits of crew diversity, and the unique opportunity of booking a cabin on a merchant marine ship are examined as well during this fascinating episode.

As the conversation unfolds, Captain Robson highlights her experiences that range from sailing on ocean races to leading a joint training cruise with cadets from the United States and the Soviet Union after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Captain Robson speaks candidly about the challenges of being the only female cadet and facing sexist remarks from male colleagues while also noting the increasing opportunities for women in the industry and her work at the US Merchant Academy. Captain Cynthia Robson's experiences and insights, as shared here today, offer a rare glimpse into the world of merchant mariners, a profession that often operates under the radar, and they provide a captivating listen for anyone interested in adventure, overcoming challenges, and thriving in The Adrenaline Zone.

The Finer Details of this Episode:

• Captain Robson’s journey to pursuing a career in the Merchant Marine
• The challenges faced by women in the industry
• Advancing through the ranks in the Merchant Marine
• Some of Captain Robson’s experiences working on research vessels and survey ships
• The advantages of working for Military Sealift Command
• Changes the Coast Guard has made to the licensing frequency and their impact
• Piracy and Captain Robson’s experiences with it
• Rough weather, rogue waves and the challenges they present
• Breaking down barriers as a woman in a male-dominated industry
• Preparing for and mitigating risks at sea
• Tall ships and what is required to sail them
• Benefits of crew diversity
• Increasing opportunities for women in the industry
• Booking a cabin on a merchant marine ship
• Crew resource management

Quotes:

"I was told that I could be an apprentice or be an applicant, but I could never be a book member because they were never going to allow women in the Merchant Marine.”

"When you graduate from a state academy or also from the federal academy, you graduate with a degree, and you also graduate with a third mate license."

"If you're working a one for one schedule, you have to accrue a year's sea time and you work for usually two years to get a year's sea time."

"The advantage of Military Sealift Command is that you gather sea time and you raise your license a lot faster."

"The reason the captain had been yelling is because there were some pirates up on the bridge and they had a machete and they were going after him with a machete."

"We had our own Beaufort scale. And I just remember at force five, it said, 'Joggers must stay indoors.'”

"So I was going to my ship... and one of them asked me, 'What ship are you going to?' And I said, 'the Jamestown.' He said, 'I'm so glad. We needed a good cook.'"

"Risk mitigation is huge... the most important thing is to be prepared and to know your risks." -

"It takes a lot of expertise to sail tall ships.”

"Almost anyone in the Navy would tell you that when we started bringing women on aircraft carriers, it changed the culture of the ship in a good way."

"The more women on board ship, the better the crew, and the better the crews get."

"Booking a cabin on a merchant ship - I would totally recommend it."

Links:

The Adrenaline Zone Homepage

The Adrenaline Zone on Instagram

The Adrenaline Zone on Twitter

The Adrenaline Zone on TikTok

CAPT Robson's LinkedIn Page