"I like the job. It's better than sitting behind some computer," says Carrie Currain, merchant marine. Currain likes to sail. In fact, she likes it so much that she has made a career out of it.
As part of the U.S. Merchant Marine, Currain ships goods around the world for both U.S. and foreign companies. But her job is not of the typical variety.
"You are away for a long time, but you get to go all over the world," she says. Currain has been to almost all of Europe, plus the Mediterranean Sea, and even the Caribbean where she spent three years.
"It is physically hard," Currain says. "You don't lay around all day. There is a lot of lifting and hauling." That's how she characterized her stint as a chief mate, who is the head of the deck department, in charge of making the ship "look pretty."
When in port, Currain works an 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. day. "There is always something different going on," she says. "There are supply trucks coming in, contractors to supervise, and my own people (on the ship) to take care of." When the ship set sail though, Currain was in charge of getting the ship from "point a to point b," as well as exercising the rules of the road. In other words, "don't hit anything."
But Currain just got her captain's license and soon will be in charge of an entire ship's operation. The road to getting that license started as far back as childhood. "I grew up around sailboats," she says. "I always knew I wanted to do something with the water." That desire led her to attend SUNY Maritime in New York City where she graduated with a degree in meteorology and oceanography in 1994.
"It is harder than a normal school," she says, but the training she received was invaluable. As a student, Currain spent two months every summer for three years on a training ship learning everything from navigation to radar to living on the water.
"It's not for everyone, especially if you get sea sick." Currain says of sea life. "The food is generally pretty good though. There is TV and movies if you want. Usually there is some sort of rec room and a library. The last ship I was on even had a workout room."
Upon graduation, Currain became a third mate. After 360 days at sea (vacation time not included), and a test, Currain turned second mate. Another 360 days at sea and another test earned her the rank of chief mate.
She turned captain after a third cycle of 360 days at sea and a test.
Captain Currain can take the helm of her first ship in one of two ways. Currently, she works for Maerskline Limited who could assign her to a ship, or she could actively seek out a job with another company in need of a captain to ship their products. Either way, Currain says the outlook is good.
"There are always going to be jobs sailing," Currain says. "It is one of the oldest industries in the world." Currain's salary depends on the ship and the company, but her room and board are always paid for, "...an ideal situation for someone right out of college who does not have a house or a car," she says.
Captain Currain says that those interested in the Merchant Marine could major in naval architecture, transportation business, or environmental science (meteorology), but her personal recommendation is to study engineering.
"Engineering is the way to go," she says. "Not only do you get an engineering degree, you also spend three months working on machines. How often do you get that hands-on experience?"
SUNY Maritime is not the only college that teaches this line of work. The list of possible schools also includes the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Long Island, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, Mass., the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, Calif., and Texas A and M University in College Station, Tex.
As for Currain's future, she is not sure how much longer she will stay at sea. "At first it was cool," she says. "Now the novelty is wearing off. I am getting tired of living out of a bag."
If the captain decides she has had her last sail into the sunset, there will be a position open for the next aspiring Carrie Currain. Could it be you?
