The Challenges and Rewards of Building a Maritime Career – Ben Pierce’s Story
From childhood coastal adventures to becoming a professional skipper, Ben Pierce’s journey is a testament to where passion and hard work can take you.
In this interview, Ben shares his journey and his experience doing the Skipper Restricted Limits (SRL) course with Skipper Training NZ and reveals the challenges, lessons, and camaraderie that have shaped his life at sea. Ben gives us a glimpse into the life of someone who turned their love for the water into a career.
What motivated you to pursue a career in the maritime industry?
Ben: I grew up around the coast and spent plenty of time on the water as a kid, but I never considered it a career opportunity until I stumbled into the aquaculture industry by chance when I was 18 and found a job in Havelock. Initially, I was working land-based, but it opened my eyes to the opportunities on the water and in the Marlborough Sounds.
What led you to choose Skipper Training NZ for your maritime education?
Ben: I was at a crossroads in my career journey and had a few free months. I’d worked up a few years of sea time on mussel boats all over the country and driving kina tenders in Southland. I knew I was keen to do my SRL eventually, but I wasn’t sure I was quite ready yet. But after a conversation with Milo (Milo Coldren. Director & Tutor Skipper Training), he assured me I had plenty of experience and would be a great fit for the course, so I enrolled and never looked back!
What were the highlights and challenges of the SRL course, and do you think it prepared you for your maritime career?
Ben: I loved the way Milo helped you realise that you already have most of the knowledge. He’d just help you find it and give you the confidence that you actually do know your stuff.
It really helped me to see that I do know how to handle a vessel, and it gave me confidence that I’m ready to take command.
It was a small class, and we all became quite close. It’s great to still be crossing paths with classmates and seeing what we’re all up to. Plenty of smiles were shared from beginning to end!
Were there any particular skills or lessons from your training that you found particularly valuable in your current role?
Ben: having the opportunity to walk through some worst-case scenarios in drills was invaluable. Having confidence that I can take a crew through the abandon ship process from the initial distress calls right until jumping into the life raft (heaven forbid I ever actually need to). It’s so important to know how the life rafts look and feel before your life depends on it. Milo also ran a particularly good fire drill on board the vessel, but I won’t share any spoilers for future students 😉
Can you tell us about your current role in the maritime industry? What are your main responsibilities?
Ben: I am a first mate on a 23m all purpose mussel farming vessel, Morning Star, working for Waimana Marine out of Elaine Bay in the Marlborough Sounds.
As a first mate, I’m essentially running the deck and working as a relief Skipper in case our regular Skipper is away. I will also take care of most of the health and safety and vessel survey compliance admin in Seaflux.
As a side hustle, I also skipper the Gleam, a 1946 trawler that has been converted to a passenger vessel to promote the fishing, aquaculture, and maritime industries in Port Nelson. I’ve also returned to Skipper Training NZ as a relief Skipper for a few days, which was great fun! I also still drive the tender boats in the free-diving fisheries occasionally.
How does your work contribute to the broader maritime sector or community?
Ben: I love my seafood and love our seafood industry so I take great pride in helping to produce some of the world’s freshest, most delicious and sustainable protein! I also love to give back to the industry and help people following in my footsteps. This is where my work with Young Fish, on the Gleam and Skipper Training comes into play.
What have been the most significant challenges you’ve faced in your career so far, and how have you overcome them?
Ben: Learning to balance work and life while working at sea, away from home, and on irregular work patterns and rosters. I know it’s a common struggle for fishermen, aquaculturists and seafarers. I really had to make an effort to spend as much time with friends and family as possible. It also helps to get outside and away from the house, make the most of your time off, and get comfortable with your own company.
Conversely, what have been the most rewarding aspects of working in the maritime industry?
Ben: The long days and nights spent at sea throw out some pretty special moments at both ends of mother nature’s spectrum. I have fond memories of the glassy calm sounds with bright orange sunsets, and equally special memories of 60-70+kt squalls filling up entire bays with seawater spouts.
We work pretty hard, which also comes with a pretty rewarding sense of achievement.
You also tend to forge a pretty tight friendship with the people you work with at sea, and we take part in our fair share of shenanigans… good thing we’ve got plenty of work to do to keep us on our best behaviour 😉
There’s also so much to learn and so much history in our sector. I love learning from and hearing stories from all of the people that have come before me. It makes me proud to be continuing the legacy of a pretty hard-working sector with a proud, passionate history.
How do you see the maritime industry evolving in the next few years?
Ben: Emissions reductions seem to be on the horizon in every industry, and for the maritime sector, which currently relies heavily on heavy diesel engines, I think there’ll be big changes in my lifetime away from diesel towards other power sources.
There could be a shift towards hydrogen / electric motors. Or other alternative power sources. It’ll be a whole other world of learning for me the day they become normal on mussel boats.
What advice would you give someone considering a maritime industry career or considering enrolling in Skipper Training NZ?
Ben: Jump in and do it. So much to learn and so many opportunities.
Are there any skills or areas of knowledge that you think are particularly important for success in this field?
Ben: Attitude is most important. You need to think ahead, show initiative and be keen to get stuck in and help because there’s always a never-ending list of jobs from the moment you drop ropes until you step off the ship. Cooking ability is also a great way to make a good first impression!
How has your perception of the maritime industry changed since before you started your training?
Ben: I’m not sure the maritime sector was ever really front of mind growing up… I definitely had a twisted perception of what a fisherman looked like (imagine yellow rain coat, sailors hat, long grey white beard, a cigarette and an anchor tattoo on the biceps.) While there’s plenty of fisherman who fit at least part of that mould there’s definitely plenty of diversity and unique characters around too! I consider myself a fisherman now and don’t think I fit any of those descriptions!
What are your future career aspirations, and how do you plan to achieve them?
Ben: My ultimate goal is to buy a boat and go into business for myself as an owner / operator… right now I have no idea how that looks, whether I’ll be farming my own mussels (or other shellfish / species), doing contract farm work, commercial fishing, even operating in tourism, or maybe a combination of all of the above… I do see opportunities to emulate the agri-tourism sector with an aquaculture spin. There are plenty of opportunities out there, and I’m forever coming up with new ideas, so we’ll just need to see what the future holds. One thing is for sure: it won’t be far away from seafood!
I think I’ll go about achieving these dreams by starting small… likely by running a small operation in my off-shifts and probably in partnership with others (another perk of the job is having a 4-on 4-off roster, which means we end up working less than half the year leaving plenty of time for a side hustle). I’ve definitely got a lot to learn, but that’s never stopped me before! And of course… and last but not least, I’ll need to keep working bloody hard, but we’re mariners, that’s what we do 🙂
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