SEAFARING pioneer Hawra Al Jufairi has become the first Bahraini to secure a licence to drive a commercial powerboat in the country.
Not content with making waves in a male-dominated sector, she’s aiming to hook a tugboat licence next to fully secure an ocean-bound career.
“I love the sea, it helps calm me down and right from early childhood I have felt at home on the water,” said the 24-year-old who received her Masters’ certificate from the Maritime Affairs at the Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry after successfully completing intensive training at Delma Marine in Hidd.
Proud
The qualification acknowledges her ability to drive commercial powerboats which involves ferrying people and goods, accompanying sea beacon inspection teams and sailing under the law.
The Gulf University student told the GDN that she is proud of her achievements. “I don’t think there are any jobs that are meant for men only – at least this one is not!” Ms Al Jufairi told the GDN.
“I don’t know if I really cherished this particular position – to become a licensed powerboat driver – from childhood, but I knew, for sure, I would do something involving the sea. It was always a passion.”
The sea runs in the blood. Her mother, Atifa Farhad, is a US Navy employee, and father Mohammed Al Jufairi, a retired Bapco employee.
She lives in the family home in Salmabad with her siblings. Her older sister Zahra works for a car dealership and her younger siblings, Qassim, Zainab, Ammar and Fatima, are students.
Currently Ms Al Jufairi is busy with assignments ferrying people and supplies to offshore sites and goes alongside inspection teams to the sea beacons.
She works as a boat captain with Ocean Diving and Marine Services in Sitra, a place from where she took her initial training as well. After her secondary schooling at Al Majd Private School, she joined the Ocean Diving and Marine Services as an accounts assistant.
“While working behind a desk and handling accounts I knew that I was not meant for office work – I wanted to be physically active and moving around,” she said.
“The boat drivers in our company were always busy and engaged so I shared my wish to become one with my manager and he agreed to help me with the training.
“Initially, I underwent in-house training with the boat drivers and then took the official training course at Delma Marine and qualified for the RYA powerboat licence in July.”
Her training certificate endorsed by RYA – the UK’s Royal Yachting Association – was further attested by the Ports and Maritime Affairs, the body which issues commercial licences.
Ms Al Jufairi’s dream is to acquire a tugboat licence – to pilot boats that bump, push and pull larger vessels through waterways, and in and out of ports.
“I know it will be tough – but I can do it,” she said. “I think it is all about chasing your dreams and heart’s desires.”
Ms Al Jufairi’s Bahraini coach Mohammed Abdulla Al Balooshi, 38, a diving and boating instructor at Delma Marine, was equally delighted at his student’s success.
“There are diving centres and trainers like me who train people for these licences which are later endorsed by the Ports and Maritime Affairs Directorate,” he said.
“I’m proud to have trained the first Bahraini woman to have secured a commercial powerboat licence.
“It is tough for a woman, as it is so physically demanding. Hawra proved to be skilled, talented, passionate and committed and I am proud to have trained her.”
Mr Al Balooshi added that he had trained several men and women for the level two powerboat licence, used for pleasure driving, but no woman had taken a commercial licence until Hawra.
“The commercial licence training is intense and physically demanding. It also involves first aid, fire-fighting, crowd handling, maintaining boat stability and radio managing.”
raji@gdn.com.bh
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