Meet Jessie – Gry Maritha Chief Mate

Meet Jessie Boulton, Gry Maritha Chief Mate, who joined us in January this year.

What were you doing before becoming Chief Mate?

I went straight from Penwith College to Warsash Maritime Academy and joined the merchant navy at 18. When I was 15-years-old, I did a one-week work experience placement onboard Scillonian III and loved it. When I got to the age of thinking about careers, my father – who was an engineer in the merchant navy himself – suggested I look at a career at sea. Growing up in Penzance and having fond memories of boating in Mount’s Bay as a child, I developed a love of travel and a draw to see the world, so a career path like this made perfect sense to me.

I was sponsored by cruise company Holland America Line (HAL), who paid for my three years of training. Once qualified, they employed me as third officer. I worked for the company for six years, during which time I went back to school in Glasgow to study and gain my chief mate unlimited ticket. I was promoted to second officer and continued with HAL until 2020.

I wanted to try something slightly different, so I got a job on a superyacht and then moved on to a research vessel where I stayed for two years. After around 12 years of travelling, I decided I’d like to spend more time at home. This very fortunately coincided with an opening for my role on Gry Maritha – lucky me!

How has your first year been at the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group?

2025 has been a good year for me. Deciding to move away from deep sea jobs where I would spend a lot of time away from home, friends and family was an important one for me to make.

I’ve really been enjoying this year coming home to where I grew up and reestablishing my place in the community here. It feels good to be doing something with a clear purpose. A particular highlight was gaining my St Mary’s pilotage exemption for Gry Maritha, it feels like a great accomplishment to have my skills and knowledge trusted to bring the Gry safely into harbour. 

What does a typical day look like for you?

The Gry Maritha’s schedule is based around the tides, so in a typical two-week rotation, everyday will be slightly different.

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we load cargo in Penzance and sail to the Isles of Scilly on the high tide. As the tide changes every day, it shapes our days, so some days it’s a rush to load and set sail, other days it’s a slower morning, a break for lunch and await the tide.

Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday we wake early to unload and load anything that needs to come back to the mainland and sail home, normally departing around 9am. It’s then either straight into wet dock to unload or onto Lighthouse Pier to unload and await the gate to get back into wet dock at high tide. Except on some occasions where Scillonian III is on Lighthouse Pier, then we just wait in the bay for either the gates or the pier to be available. The changing schedule keeps things interesting. No day is the same.

Sundays are much-needed maintenance days for the Gry. We run drills and get to work on jobs that need doing to keep things running smoothly.

What’s your favourite part of the job?

I really enjoy being able to walk to and from work. It’s very novel for me to not have to pack up my life every few months and endure endless flights to reach my workplace. I spent a lot of time on the Isles of Scilly as a kid and I have family originally from St Martin’s. Doing a job where I’m serving a place that I hold so dear in my heart makes me happy. 

What are the most challenging aspects of your role?

The elements, weather, sea, and tides! The waters between Land’s End and the Isles of Scilly are notoriously turbulent. Two huge tidal channels meet in the Atlantic Ocean and throw in a few storms for good measure, then we plod out in a tiny ship. It’s always humbling. We spend many hours watching the forecast like hawks. 

Have you spotted any interesting wildlife this year?

In February I spotted a humpback whale in St Mary’s sound as we arrived one afternoon. It put on a great show then disappeared. Since then, I’ve spotted countless dolphins and seabirds, a few risso’s dolphins and a couple of pilot whales. I’m always in awe when we see any wildlife. 

How do you find working in a traditionally male dominated environment?

I’ve been incredibly lucky throughout my career that 99% of people I’ve worked with view me as just another colleague and therefore have treated me as such. It is still definitely a male dominated industry but there’s plenty of space for females to be successful.

What would you say to young women considering a career in this industry?

I think that consistency in showing up to the job and not expecting any sort of special treatment is key. I had a wonderful start to my career on the cruise ships where the atmosphere is professional, training standards are high and you aren’t the only female onboard. Even though I was often the only female in my department of around 40-50 people, I never felt like a minority or isolated in any way. 

I have made some truly wonderful lifelong friends from this career, both male and female, and I’m very grateful that my colleagues and people that I meet and connect with continue to be one of the best parts of going to sea.