Women at Sea: Lauren’s Path to Chief Mate

When Lauren Pammenter first considered a career at sea, she had no idea where it might lead. Over a decade since beginning her cadetship, she is now thriving as Chief Mate aboard a superyacht. Discover Lauren’s journey… 

Early Passion for the Sea

While most of her sixth-form peers were thinking about university, Lauren Pammenter already knew that a purely academic route wasn’t for her - she needed a practical element too. Her pull toward the sea had begun long before sixth form. She joined the Sea Cadets at ten and spent six years sailing at her local yacht club, spending weekends camping, training, and building a close-knit circle of friends. With a father who served in the Royal Navy, she grew up surrounded by stories of life at sea, making the maritime world feel like a natural path to follow.

Choosing the Nautical Path

Taking her father’s advice that attending a nautical college rather than joining the Royal Navy could offer a better lifestyle, she visited Fleetwood Nautical Campus. What she expected to be a series of practice interviews with training companies quickly took an unexpected turn when Anglo-Eastern offered her a place on their cadet programme. She hadn’t planned to start her cadetship early, nor had she expected to secure a position at all, but she accepted. It meant beginning a year sooner than planned, but it marked the start of what would become a successful and steadily progressing career at sea.

Any early pushback she experienced had nothing to do with being a woman. Instead, it came from choosing a path her sixth form didn’t fully understand. “They didn’t get why I didn’t want to go to university,” she says. After explaining the structure of the cadetship, the qualification pathway, and the career opportunities it would lead to, she eventually brought the sixth form on side, even though she wouldn’t be completing the full two years of study she’d originally intended. Her parents and the Sixth Form fully supported her decision to take the next step in fulfilling her career goals.

Early Challenges at Sea

Once she began her cadetship at Fleetwood, she felt certain she’d made the right choice. University had never appealed to her; geography was the only subject that held any interest, but her passion clearly lay in the maritime industry. Fleetwood Nautical Campus provided the structure she needed, but the real challenges emerged once she stepped onto her first vessel. There, the gendered assumptions became more obvious. Gaining the same automatic trust her male peers received was not guaranteed. She quickly realised she would have to prove her competence before anyone assumed it, an expectation her male counterparts rarely faced.

Despite that, she pushed through, and these early experiences shaped the resilience she would later rely on as she climbed the ranks.

Cadetship Experience

Her cadetship was largely positive. The company looked after its trainees well, and the promise of a potential job at the end of the programme offered a great level of security. Lauren found the academic side of the course more challenging than the practical training, but the support of her cohort made a significant difference - particularly the unusually high number of women. Twelve female cadets in a single intake is almost unheard of, and Lauren considers herself fortunate to have started her career surrounded by such a strong network. “We supported each other in a way you don’t always get,” she says. 

Lauren, September 2011: Beginning her cadetship

Mentorship and Guidance

One of the most influential figures in Lauren’s early career was Captain Paul Squance, whom she met while working offshore. His ship-handling skills left a strong impression, but it was his approach to training and leadership that had the greatest impact. Unlike many senior officers who instinctively placed more trust in male cadets, he made a point of involving her fully, putting her into high-pressure situations that pushed her abilities and built her confidence. “Men are often trusted automatically in this job,” she says. “Women don’t always get that reaction.” Under his mentorship, the crew’s confidence in her grew alongside her own. He provided guidance, honest feedback and, crucially, made it clear that if something didn’t go to plan, he would support her. “I wouldn’t be doing what I do now if it wasn’t for him,” she says.

First Roles and Career Progression

After qualifying, Lauren secured her first role as a third officer and trainee DPO with Subsea 7. It was a strong start, stable, structured and a good environment to bridge the gap between training and full responsibility. But competition for role was intense. “There weren’t many spots when we finished our cadetship,” she says. “We were all fighting for the same few positions.”

She stayed offshore for 5 Years progressing to 1st Officer Senior DPO before moving to the superyacht sector, a shift that meant stepping down to a junior position to learn an entirely new side of the industry. It took years to climb back up the ranks, but she eventually earned the role of chief mate on a 70m superyacht and is now sailing onboard a 110m+ superyacht. Getting there required navigating industry stereotypes about what a senior deck officer “should” be. “People assume you have to be skilled in every single area,” she says. “That’s not realistic. What matters is managing your team well and knowing how to use the strengths around you.” Her strategy for working in a male-dominated environment is direct: stay focused, don’t rise to doubt, and let performance speak for itself. “If someone thinks you can’t do something, you just do it better.”

Life as Chief Mate

Lauren’s role as chief mate is defined by unpredictability. Guest operations shape the day, and collaboration between departments is essential. With a 24-hour bridge and rapidly changing plans, adaptability is part of the job description.

Advice for Women at Sea

Lauren’s advice for women aspiring to a career at sea is perseverance and building strong relationships. “Don’t get disheartened if things take longer than expected. Keep going. It may take longer but when you achieve your goals, the respect you earn is greater,” she says. Hard work is essential but so is knowing when to ask for support. “Because you work so hard to prove yourself, you’re sometimes reluctant to ask for help, but it’s important. Over time, the crew can see your skill set and understand why you’re in the role. The bonds you build with your team are crucial.”

Career Highlights

When asked about the most rewarding moments of her career so far, two stand out immediately. The first was earning her Master’s Unlimited certificate - a milestone that brought a strong sense of relief as well as achievement. “It was knowing there were no more exams and I had reached my highest level when it comes to education,” she says. The second was stepping into the role of chief mate for the first time, a position that had taken years of steady progression to reach. It was the culmination of hard work, sector changes and persistence, and she credits the vessel for giving her the opportunity to prove herself.

Women in Maritime Today

Lauren is aware of the wider context for women in maritime. While more women are entering junior roles, senior positions remain noticeably underrepresented. She believes progress needs to be genuine, not superficial. “Companies often put forward the same women for their campaigns,” she says. “There are plenty of capable women coming through who rarely get a platform.” For her, it’s essential that the industry amplifies a broad range of female voices and uses representatives who genuinely reflect the workforce.

She also highlights the challenges faced by women who want both a maritime career and a family, particularly the lack of clear pathways for returning after pregnancy or time ashore. Job-sharing, she says, could make senior roles more accessible and sustainable. In the superyacht industry, there is a group called ‘She of the Sea’, which promotes and supports women online. “They put a lot of time into the page, and they are doing a lot of good for women at sea,” Lauren notes, emphasizing the importance of community and mentorship in helping women navigate the industry.

Looking Ahead

Today, Lauren works on a two-month-on, two-month-off rotation. She’s not in a rush to move again and is thoroughly enjoying life at sea, though she is already thinking ahead - possibly toward becoming a captain “one day.” For now, Lauren is making the most of travelling the world while doing a job she loves. Take a look at some of the pictures she’s captured along the way.