They met at maritime college — Life as a couple at sea

Josefine Radonné and Felicia Liljeroth are both newly qualified second officers at Furetank and a couple. They serve on separate vessels, spend half their time passing each other across European waters, but share coordinated schedules and make the most of their time together – and apart. They see real advantages in being a couple in the maritime industry.

When we speak to the couple, one of them is bringing Fure Vyl into the Port of Tees in the United Kingdom, while the other is aboard Fure Valö on her way between Rotterdam and Porvoo, Finland. Both found their way into shipping along similar paths: daughters of recreational sailing families, earning sailing certificates at a young age, nurturing a growing passion for life on the water — and harbouring a dawning thought that this could be a full-time way of life.

Josefine: "I have always loved the sea. I find it wonderful — just looking out at the horizon makes me feel at peace. Having that view from your workplace is about as good as it gets. And I love the rhythm of the job: a few weeks of intense work, then the same amount of time off to really make the most of life ashore.”

Felicia: "I decided to try the maritime programme, loved it, and now I'm hooked. I appreciate the variety — there is always something new to learn, and the industry itself is constantly evolving. Every day is different. This is more of a lifestyle than a job.”

Setting their sights on Furetank

This March, the couple celebrate two years together. They met at maritime college, where it gradually became clear that both wanted to work on tankers. They asked around among classmates about different shipping companies and together set their sights on Furetank — to do their final cadetship there and eventually apply for positions.

Felicia: "I heard a lot of positive things about the workplace. Furetank is very open about who they are, and what I saw appealed to me. Above all, I heard that they genuinely welcome women and are actively working to bring more of us in. Right now there are four of us on board: a chief officer, myself as second officer, a deck cadet and an ordinary seaman. I was also lucky enough to have an excellent captain during my final placement, who put in a good word for me with the office.”

The biggest worry — mismatching work schedules

So, the central question for a couple at sea: how do you make your life work when you are both in shipping?

Felicia: "It works really well. Our biggest worry when we graduated was that our schedules would never align and we would barely see each other. But it was resolved very quickly. At my job interview with Furetank, I mentioned that we were a couple, and there was no hesitation from HR — they immediately set about matching our schedules so that we sign on and off during the same week.”

Josefine: "It is wonderful to have those five weeks of leave together. Very few couples get six months of holiday a year with their partner — it feels quite luxurious. And it is also great fun to be serving on sister vessels. If we need a second opinion, we often call each other: 'How do you interpret this procedure?' It works really well, because we are both deeply interested in the industry and want to learn as much as we can.”

— Does being a couple attract attention from your colleagues?

"Yes, the crew always find it fun — they often ask with genuine curiosity: 'How are things on Fure Valö?' We have felt nothing but warmth and support from everyone around us.”

Adventurous life on and off the water

And what do they do with their generous time off? The couple spend time with family, catch up with friends around Sweden, and pursue their shared passion for travel. With plenty of time to plan ahead, they can travel when fewer people are on the move and prices are reasonable.

And when it is time to return to work, another adventure awaits.

"One of the interesting things about product tanker shipping is that we operate on the spot market rather than sailing between a fixed set of ports. We never know what the next voyage will bring. On top of that, it is a remarkable job — handling large vessels, taking in the industrial scale of the ports we visit, and being part of the Filipino culture that our colleagues bring on board. As a couple, it works particularly well. I would strongly recommend finding a partner who works in shipping," says Josefine Radonné, with a laugh.