September 2021
IF YOU LEARN THE SEA, YOU WILL FEEL THE SEA Ayse Asli Basak, Port Captain, Mid-Ship Group LLC
I come from a family who lives at sea – not literally on a ship but on a boat since my childhood. My memories are full of our fishing and sailing days in Dardanelles Strait with my mom and dad. I can say that the first person who taught me how to be strong at sea, especially in rough seas, was my mom. Growing up surrounded by the sea as a way of life got into my blood and somehow became my destiny in a different way. My journey in the maritime sector officially started with me attending the Maritime Faculty in 2008 as a cadet. I was only 18 years old when I made my first voyage on a bulk carrier where we sailed through the Gulf of Aden, (yes sometimes with pirates around) the Indian Ocean right up to China and then Australia to the Western Pacific Ocean. Being young was tough, being a woman was challenging, but my admiration for the sea gave me enough motivation and a lot of courage.
first during my long treatment. In spite of all odds, I did not leave shipping and was still connected to the ships! A shore-based career in the maritime industry after a long sailing period has its own challenges for seafarers during the adaptation period from sailing at sea to working ashore.
I have a lot of stories to narrate like the time that we sailed during monsoons in the Indian Ocean, then there was the hurricane period in the Atlantic Ocean and even the typhoons in China Sea with about 10 Beaufort weather scale in rough swells. This was a real adventure that I did not want to leave but unfortunately my health issues led me to a shore-based job where I pursued a career ashore as ‘Safety Superintendent‘
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