Jana Staron’s love of the water has led her to a career that only about a dozen women in the United States enjoy: She works as a marine pilot on the Great Lakes.
‘We board all the foreign ships that go on the Great Lakes,? said Staron, a 1992 Lake Orion High School graduate who now spends most of the year living in Cape Vincent, New York.
Staron works on the St. Lawrence Seaway and Lake Ontario, and said she is vital to foreign captains because they don’t really have local knowledge.
‘If there was an accident, there would be drinking water at stake,? she said. ‘I started driving boats on Lake Orion. My parents always felt that was important.?
Staron’s parents, Jack and Vicki Staron, still live in Lake Orion, and Staron visits often in the winter, when the Seaway is closed.
‘The Seaway closes at Christmas,? she said. ‘During the winter I live north of Traverse City, and I go back (to New York) in April.?
When Staron was growing up in Lake Orion, she worked for five years at the Orion Marina, and said back then she was planning to become a ski instructor.
‘I was a racer,? she said. ‘Skiing was my life. I thought about going into resort management.?
Staron attended Michigan State University for two years as a pre-med major, then switched to psychology, and then physical education and exercise science.
‘I realized it wasn’t for me,? she said. ‘Then my dad sent for information (about being a marine pilot),? she said. ‘I tell him this is all his fault.?
Staron attended the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City and the Maine Maritime Academy.
‘In Traverse City, it was three years for a two-year degree,? she said. ‘That included a year of sea time. Now it’s a four-year program.?
Staron has been working as a marine pilot for a year now, and said it is hard to get to know people because her schedule is so erratic.
‘To work on ships at all, you have to be a very independent person, because you’re by yourself a lot,? she said. ‘I never know if I’ll be gone for a week, or a month.?
Staron said it takes a certain kind of person to be able to do the kind of work she does.
‘You have to make quick decisions, and have confidence…you either have it, or you don’t,? she said.
Staron’s favorite part of the job is docking ships, with the maximum ship length on the Great Lakes 730 feet.
‘It’s really an accomplishment, to come within three feet of a concrete wall,? she said. ‘Working as a mate on the Great Lakes, I used to pilot 1,000-footers.?
Staron said she is the only female pilot in the United States on the Great Lakes, and that there are only about 13 female pilots in the country.
‘It’s a little awkward for women,? she said. ‘I don’t look my age…(The captains) think there’s a 20-year-old girl coming aboard to take over their ship.?
Staron said she has found that captains are more likely to interject commands with a female pilot.
‘I had a captain actually ask me for my phone number,? she said. ‘He was a 70-year-old Bulgarian man. I’ve also had crew members from several other countries call me ‘Sir.??
Staron said she has run into some ‘pretty solid boys? networks,? in her field, but said most of the guys she works with are very supportive.
‘They understand the difficulties,? she said. ‘They send you out there with fairly minimal training.?
Going into her second year, Staron said one thing she knows now is how to dress for the work.
‘You have to look professional,? she said. ‘So I went out and bought all these $350 Ann Taylor suits.
‘When you go out to pilot a ship, you have to climb a rope ladder to get aboard. I trashed every one of my suits,? Staron said.
Due to the schedule, Staron doesn’t see herself being a marine pilot for an extended period of time.
‘I’d like to write a book,? she said. ‘It would be comedy, about the things I’ve seen and what I deal with everyday.?