In days of yore, many sailors held unfortunate superstitions about women on board being bad luck. Indeed, it was said, the mere presence of a woman on board your ship could lead to untold calamities! Well, it’s time to say heave-ho to that old tale, because women have been making waves across the seven seas for hundreds of years. These five famous seafaring women range from fearsome female pirates to modern-day record breakers. Read on as we reveal the long and fabulous history of women aboard.
Grace O’Malley (1530-1603)
Politician, pirate and all-around seaworthy lass, Grace O’Malley (Gráinne Ní Mháille in Irish) is still considered the ‘pirate queen of Ireland’. The story goes that O’Malley took to the sea at age 11 where she began her long, illustrious career as a pirate on water and a politician on land. When Ireland was falling into the hands of the English, O’Malley defended the coast and offered naval support to Irish rebels. She spent many years as a respected and fearsome leader aboard her ship, eventually taking to dry land to enter the world of politics.
Jeanne Socrates (b. 1942)
Jeanne Socrates proves that sailing is for everyone – regardless of age or gender. In 2018, the Lymington native became the oldest person to single-handedly circumnavigate the world. She was 77 years old at the time. Socrates describes weathering many storms and having to make do with the tools she had on board when she couldn’t get to shore, including solar batteries and diesel generators. Though you may not be looking to sail around the globe, Socrates’ story emphasises the importance of having your boat up to date and ready for anything. Luckily, we’ve got you covered there with our list of energy sources and best boat upgrades!
Skipper Thuridur (1777-1863)
Thuridur Einarsdottir was a highly respected Icelandic sea captain who earned her place first as a deckhand and later as a fisherwoman, despite the prejudices against her gender at the time. Like Grace O’Malley, Thuridur began her life at sea at the age of 11, fishing on her father’s boat, and didn’t stop for 60 years. Said to have a sixth sense about the weather, Thuridur could always be counted on to bring in the largest catch and being able to work aboard her ship was a highly coveted position. Today, she is immortalised in Iceland as one of the country’s greatest seafaring women. Follow in Thuridor’s footsteps with the many fishing boats listed in our marketplace!
Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz (1936-2021)
While Jeanne Socrates was the oldest person to sail solo around the world, Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz was the first woman to do so back in 1976. When the UN declared 1975 International Women’s Year, this prompted the Polish Sailing Association to come up with an interesting way of promoting Polish sailing: sending a Polish woman on a solo sailing expedition around the world! And so, Krystyna began the journey. She tells of meeting a Danish fisherman in Skagen who told her, “Who wants to sail in such a little boat to the North Sea? And also, you’re all women. Go back home, it’s well enough that you’ve made it in one piece to Skagen,” but she persevered, enduring treacherous shoals, inclement weather and loneliness, to complete the journey in April 1978.
Mary Lacy (1740-1801)
Mary Lacy was a British sailor, shipwright and memoirist who, after years of service at sea, became the first woman to pass an exam and receive a pension from the British Admiralty. According to her mother, Mary was always one to go against the current. At 19, she had run away from home, dressed as a boy, and found work aboard the ship Sandwich under the name William Chandler. Though she suffered many hardships – from fistfights to fevers –, Mary went on to have a respected career in the Navy and was granted a pension under her real name after retiring.
Looking for further inspiration? We’ve got the best books and movies about boating to inspire your next seaworthy adventure. And if you want to channel the spirit of these amazing seafaring women but don’t yet have a boat of your own, check out our marketplace!
Image credits: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons /
