Spend some of Women’s History Month reading about the first female captain to pilot a merchant ship around the southern tip of the Americas, and then join us for a book discussion in the Columbia Public Library on April 2 at noon.
“The Sea Captain’s Wife: A True Story of Mutiny, Love and Adventure at the Bottom of the World,” by Tilar J. Mazzeo tells the story of Mary Ann Patten who first took to the sea with her husband, Joshua Patten, in 1854 when she was 17 years old. Two years later, she had learned how to navigate by sextant, won the loyalty of her crew and literally ‘learned the ropes’ or how to adjust the sails. These were no small feats considering that many sailors wanted no women aboard sailing vessels, and when allowed, women were usually restricted to their cabin below decks speaking only to their husband and one or two other crew members. Not surprisingly, most captain’s wives chose not to accompany their husbands.
In 1856 she and her husband set sail aboard their ship, Neptune’s Car, intending to sail their cargo around the length of the America’s to California. Joshua fell seriously ill with tubercular meningitis partway through the trip. Faced with a mutinous and incompetent first-mate, Mary Ann — 19 years old and pregnant–took over the captaining of the ship, safely completing the trip.
As a sailor herself, author Mazzeo, brings this feat to life for the reader with technical details and meticulous historical research. But “The Sea Captain’s Wife” isn’t just about Mary Ann. It’s also a window onto the harsh realities for women of this time and the seafaring life-style in general — an unflinching glimpse into an often romanticized period of our history.
Bring your thoughts, question and newfound appreciation for electricity, antibiotics and flushing toilets to our next book discussion.
