First professional lady yacht captain in Oman
First professional lady yacht captain in Oman
If you’re looking for a day charter, a weekend trip or are keen on an overnight adventure on the high seas, Muscat Yacht Club promises to get you on the water, in luxury and style, safely and affordably. But there's also a pleasant surprise awaiting guests who seek unique revelry on a boat.
MYC offers to create the perfect charter experience that suits all needs and all budgets, off Muscat's shores, where the placid Arabian Sea presents itself in all its majesty and glory. But the icing on the cake is its new lady yacht captain, Madiha Madny al Bakri, who has embarked on an interesting turn in her life with this challenging hobby.
“I have a passion for anything that involves the sea, everything about it,” Madiha told Muscat Daily, adding, “My father used to be a diver and a competitive swimmer, so the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree! I enjoy diving, fishing, all kinds of water sports and as a part-time job I also teach women and kids how to swim in the convenience of their residential private pools. I also very briefly learnt how to sail with OmanSail.”
Upbeat about wearing this new hat on weekends, since all through the week she works in project management for an international bank in Muscat, Madiha says, “I think, me becoming the first female Omani Captain will be very fulfilling as there is a high demand for females in this line. I also think that there is a very supportive community in Oman that empowers women and I believe that this is a great direction for me.”
Some of my her responsibilities as captain include navigating, driving and parking the yacht, operating the yacht's equipment and, most importantly, being a host to guests on board and ensuring their safety and enjoyment. She will not only be ferrying guests on pleasure trips but also providing interesting information about Oman and sea routes undertaken as well as sharing interesting facts about water sports, diving, etc to those interested in romancing the waves off Muscat's shores.
Tackling with ease the cliched query about getting her nose into a male-dominated profession, Madiha asserts, “In today's world, I think this discrimination is proving more and more ineffective as there are a lot of females taking on roles that are mainly 'male-dominated'.” She also admits not coming across any lady yacht captains of commerical services in Oman and adds, “I believe, my role will inspire more woman to take on new roles, and I hope to be one of the first to influence women out there.”
About training undertaken for the role, Madiha revealed that she has been quite comfortable with the sea having been involved in swimming and water sports from a very young age. She has now equipped herself with skills needed for manoeuvring commercial craft as well as confidence of ferrying people safely for leisure at sea.
“Practice makes perfect! My training involves going out on the yacht every weekend and learning more and more each time I go out. I'm currently in Project Management so it's obviously very different to what I am doing now. One is an office job and the other is a very 'hands on' task that requires lots of effort, especially the anchoring part.” Madiha said, adding that she does not foresee any particular hurdles in her path. “I am very optimistic and I think that everyone will welcome the idea of having a female captain onboard.”
As a lady captain, she hopes to make every trip interesting by doing things differently so that guests return with an experience to cherish. The pleasure trips include those for dolphin watching, fishing, sunrise/sunset cruises which are tailored differently for different guests. These are conducted on Yolo (You only live once) a fishing and cruising powerboat that can seat 12 persons plus the captain.
Refreshments as well as lunch/dinner is provided on board, depending on the duration and type of trip. Guests also have the option of bringing their own food and beverages along or specifying the type of food they would prefer while paying for it separately.
For overnight stays, Lovelli – an air-conditioned yacht of the Quicksilver Activ Weekend yacht range is taken out. The super deluxe yacht has two bedrooms to sleep four, a toilet, as well as a deck space to seat 12 persons, besides the captain.
People can book the boat/yacht to themselves for private trips or join with other guests for shorter pleasure trips. The cost for hiring the boat for a short private trip is RO120 while one also has the option of paying RO10 per head, if joining others on weekends.
While experimenting with a new chapter in her life, Madiha believes that life is all about challenges and one must have the will to take them on. Nevertheless, she smiles to add, that she can switch to being totally feminine and 'girly' when among her tribe, and totally tough and resilient when out at sea. As for her fitness quotient, she says, “I am in the water everyday and therefore swimming and being on the sea is a second nature to me.”
Madiha's appointment is a clear indication of our commitment to making yachting increasingly inclusive and encouraging for more women at sea
AMR ABDULLAH BAABOOD
Founder, Muscat Yacht Club