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"Just when you think you know these waters, Mother Nature will throw a harrowing tide at you,"
"I learn something new every day on this job."
"I'm originally from Citrus County, Florida-born and raised. I grew up around boats my whole life. My dad was an avid fisherman, so we were always on the water: fishing, skiing, and taking houseboats out on the Suwannee River. When he passed away in my mid-30s, it pushed me to take the leap-five months straight aboard with minimal land time. I found pieces of myself I didn't know existed. My second season was the most meditative. I was mostly at the helm on night watch-just me, the fog, and whales surfacing around the ship. The sunrises were indescri"
Laci Gist left Citrus County, Florida and now serves as chief mate and second-in-command aboard Alaskan Dream Cruises' Admiralty Dream. She navigates complex passages such as the Wrangell Narrows and adapts constantly to unpredictable tides and weather. Gist experiences meditative night watches among fog and surfacing whales and credits the work with revealing new parts of herself after her father's death. The maritime field is shifting toward greater female representation and pay equity, yet the role requires long separations from family and missed milestones at home.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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