Anna Jansen, Day Engineer
On this website, women from the maritime sector share their stories. This is the story of Anna Jansen.
What kind of work do you do?
When I was 14, I knew I wanted to go into engineering, because it fascinated me immensely. Helping adjust the valves on a Pratt & Whitney radial engine was where it all began. Actually, I wanted to become an aircraft mechanic, but due to a remarkable twist of fate, I chose to become a marine engineer.
That was in the early ’90s, and the Marof program (Maritime Officer) was being heavily promoted, but I wanted to do the rank-based training because I thought studying to become a helmsman was a waste of time: I wanted to be able to focus entirely on the profession of “engineer.” The rank-based training program was set to end in 2001, so my choice met with a lot of resistance and incomprehension, but I stood my ground, and so it came to pass…
In 1993, with my MA diploma in hand, I started working as a ship’s mate in the merchant marine, task book in hand, logging 365 days at sea. The early years were tough; I lost heart and stopped sailing. Then I went back to school to study computer science at the HTS! That turned out to be an even worse choice, so in 1996 I decided to pick up where I’d left off and go for the MB diploma. So be it—despite the resistance—this was the work I wanted to do! Eventually, I earned the MC diploma as part of the very last graduating class in 2001 and was able to apply for my unlimited sailing license in 2006. By then, I’d already been wandering around the “shipping world” quite a bit, mainly through temp agencies.
Does being a woman play a role in your studies?
Eventually, I found my calling in the dredging industry, first briefly at Blankevoort, and in 2003 I joined Van Oord for the first time. Apparently, this was done without the knowledge of the CEO at the time, because having a woman on the fleet was “not done.”
I was so happy to have finally found my place! This was exactly what I wanted most: the work ethic, the intensity of my learning process, the sailing schedule with 6 weeks on and 6 weeks off, a relatively large number of Dutch crew members on board, working in distant foreign countries, and—back then—just one day off.
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But in 2004, Van Oord acquired Ballast-HAM Dredging, and I was made redundant. My one-year contract was not renewed.
That was a major setback, and once again I found myself going through the grind with various temp agencies. Once again, I faced resistance because I was a woman. Eventually, I rejoined Van Oord in 2006, and I’m still happily working there today.
In 2021, I developed a herniated disc, and it looked like I would have to stop sailing after all. I could no longer do the physical work I used to do, and I wasn’t keen on working in an office... Through my network of colleagues, I eventually ended up at a rock-dumping site within Van Oord—with an office job on board! I learned a lot there too, but after a few years, I returned to the dredging fleet, because that’s where my passion lies.
What do you like most about your job?
When I look back on the past 33 years, I have to admit it’s been quite a struggle. People literally think you’re crazy, don’t take you seriously, and being slender doesn’t help either. On top of that, I’ve made things difficult for myself (read: by following my heart), but it’s absolutely been worth it!
I’m now a Day Engineer/2nd Engineer, which means I can step in as Watch Officer or Chief Engineer when needed. I get to handle everything: maintenance, operations, transporting parts, preparing for major repairs and dry-docking, etc...
I have a wonderful, versatile job!
I was so happy to have finally found my place! This was what I wanted most of all
