John Bruke
It might be 2025, but it’s still relatively rare to see women working on commercial marine vessels in New Zealand. Which makes Rachel McGregor, 44, something of an outlier because she skippers her own custom-built tourist boat on the waters of Otago Harbour.
“People are often fascinated to know how I got into this male-dominated industry,” says Rachel.
“And I tell them it all started after I took a tourism course, then landed a job as a wildlife guide at Taiaroa Head. I was 22 at the time and from there, I volunteered on some Port Otago work vessels, from tugs to pilot boats – even the dredger.”
From fear of boats to life at sea
A career on the ocean wasn’t the obvious choice for the British Columbia-born Rachel.
“When I was about three, we took a ferry to Vancouver Island and I remember the strange feeling of the ‘ground’ moving under my feet, and having trouble keeping my balance,” she recalls.
“So I was actually quite frightened of boats until I started working on them.”
Climbing the ranks in a male-dominated field
Since then, it has been a continuous process of learning and upskilling, with Rachel earning her skipper’s ticket at the age of 23 and her marine engineer’s certificate at 33.
“In my first skipper role, some people – mainly men – would stare,” says Rachel.
“Or they’d ask, ‘Is it safe to sail without any male crew?’ While women tended to congratulate me. “Over the years, I’ve come to understand that seeing women in these roles isn’t the norm, but that’s changing and when I became the dredge machine operator on New Era, another woman was hired at the same time. “The dredge vessel can carry up to 1200 tonnes of mud and sand, but the crew was small, so it was very hands-on. It also allowed me to spend all day every day on the water.”
Rachel also learned to do things her own way.
Learning the ropes, her own way
“When I was new on the dredge, I struggled to bash out the rocks when they got blocked in the seven-tonne drag head. The men used force, but I was smaller, so when they saw me struggling, they’d come down and try to do it for me. But I’d bite their heads off. Sorry, guys!” Rachel admits with a grin.
“I’d peer in and try to work out how the rocks got in there, then figure out where to flick them out with a crowbar. Once I worked that out, it was quicker than the guys’ brute-force technique.”
Rachel has even dredged up a bomb.
She recalls, “It was from the Armstrong Disappearing Gun at Taiaroa Head. I took it home, then called the police after I’d thought a little harder. The army came from Christchurch to blow it up, which is when I realised it was actually live!”
Trading machines for the open water
But after four years on the dredge, Rachel yearned for change.
“I wanted to give machines a rest and share my knowledge of Otago’s spectacular wildlife, which I’d come to love when I was guiding. So I took a big leap and had my boat built.”
In September 2018, the MV Sootychaser was launched.
“It’s a custom-built 8.8-metre Osprey,” tells Rachel.
A vessel built for adventure and connection
“A large trailer boat with a bathroom, and cooking and sleeping facilities. We’re surveyed for 20 passengers to operate from Timaru to Stewart Island, but we mostly stay on the harbour. We also transport cyclists and bikes across the harbour from Portobello to Port Chalmers, making us the link in the Otago Harbour Cycle Loop trail, which is so popular.”
Covid put a spanner in the works, but Rachel rode out the storm and today Port To Port Cruises & Wildlife Tours is one of Otago’s highest-ranked tourism offerings with locals, visitors and cruise passengers. Rachel is also a devoted mum to her 13-year-old son.
A cabin boy with a big heart
“Ashley is a great help,” she enthuses.
“He makes the lolly bags for the children’s Quarantine Island Treasure Hunts and lots of passengers refer to him as my cabin boy!”
Busy year-round, Rachel is the heart of her business.
“Which is why you’ll get me when you call, text or email and at the helm,” says the multi-talented skipper who teaches Pilates and yoga in her spare time.
“I also do the paperwork, the maintenance and I wield the toilet brush! “No matter what I’m doing, whether I’m covered in bilge sludge or grease, or laughing with my passengers, when I’m on the water, there’s no place I’d rather be.”
For more information, visit porttoport.co.nz
