PE OPL E
THE FACE OF NAUTILUS Captain Joe Bowry, Council member
oe Bowry grew up by the sea on switch from deepsea cargo and cruise vessels the Isle of Sheppey in southeast to the Isle of Wight ferries for the sake of a England, learning seamanship better work-life balance. This has proved to as a teenager through the Sea be a good move for his career, too, as he has Cadets youth organisation and, at the age of 17, recently been appointed as a captain with by volunteering for the RNLI lifeboats. Wightlink. ‘I wasn’t all that academic at school,’ he says, He has been a member of Nautilus since he ‘but I learned a lot at the Sea Cadets, and one of was a cadet, and became more closely involved the instructors there, Lee Marriott, encouraged with the Union as the result of a successful me to think about going for Merchant Navy compensation claim. ‘I was offered employment CAPTAIN JOE BOWRY officer training. It sounded better than my job at that was cancelled at short notice,’ he explains, IS PART OF A NEW McDonalds, anyway!’ ‘and Nautilus helped me get a settlement. Because GENERATION LOOKING TO CHANGE ATTITUDES Once Joe had decided on a career at sea, he was they did such a good job of helping me, I thought I IN THE INDUSTRY not going to do things by halves. He applied for should give something back, so I started coming to the demanding BSc Honours degree route to OOW the Young Maritime Professionals Forum, and then qualification at Plymouth University, stood for Council.’ even though he had not taken the In the YMP Forum, Joe science and maths A-levels usually encouraged Nautilus to start taking needed to win a place on the course. part in the annual Pride in London ‘It was the Sea Cadets stuff that got march, and this has now become a me in,’ he says – but anyone who has symbol of the way the Union values met him would probably reckon that diversity among its members. his determination and sheer force of On the governing Council, he has personality played a part. advocated for improvements in the For Joe isn’t really a typical British seafarer; he is use of technology to communicate with members, and would someone who embodies – and speaks up for – change in the like to do some work with Nautilus in future on how mental industry. He lives with his boyfriend, and wants to ensure health affects the retention of young people in the industry. that the Merchant Navy (including Nautilus) is welcoming Sometimes, he admits, he finds Union procedures a little to LGBT seafarers and acknowledges their contribution. stuffy and bureaucratic, but believes it’s up to members like He is also younger than the average British officer, and himself to create the changes they want to see. And he is brings with him his generation’s expectations of fair passionate about the importance of being a member: ‘I would treatment in the maritime workplace, a decent home tell people to join Nautilus from the first moment you sign life, and the right to be connected to family and friends your training agreement, and to stay a member when you come through internet access at sea. ashore. Your voice isn’t strong enough against the maritime Putting his money where his mouth is, Joe chose to giants without the Union.’
J
'Nautilus did such a good
job of helping me, I thought I should give something back'
JOE GOT HIS START IN SEAFARING THROUGH THE SEA CADETS YOUTH ORGANISATION
HE RECENTLY BECAME A CAPTAIN ON THE WIGHTLINK ISLE OF WIGHT FERRIES
HE HAS USED HIS POSITION AT THE UNION TO SPEAK UP FOR LGBT SEAFARERS
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