One Sneak Peek Into The First Frequency of Her Time

Bored of filing and photocopying in an office, she jumped ship. Literally. 

With no plan and no seasickness, Magdaleine stepped into a world no woman had entered before: the high seas.

She sailed through storms, caught barracudas off the coast of Muscat, dined on self-caught seafood in the Persian Gulf, and navigated some of the most politically charged waters of the 20th century. 

All while holding her own in a man’s world.

20 years at sea. 3 times around the globe.

No rules, no roadmap.

Just grit, guts, and a radio.

Part 1: No Plan, No Fear. Just the Open Sea

No one had ever heard of a lady officer working on a ship. But Magdaleine had never been one to follow the script.

She was stuck in a mind-numbing office job — photocopying, filing, shredding for a British firm. “I was going crazy,” she recalled. Then one day, a friend walked in and casually said, “I’m going sailing.” That was all it took. Magdaleine handed in her one-week notice and vanished onto a cargo ship bound for China.

She had never planned to work at sea, but there she was, stepping into a world completely unknown. No seasickness, no hesitation. “It felt like divine intervention,” she said.

She joined as a purser, a now-defunct position that handled the ship’s accounts and portage bills. No qualifications were needed, just the nerve to board. That decision would chart the course of her next two decades.

Part 2: Life as a Purser — Ports, Storms, and Six Hooks

Magdaleine’s first ship traced the Chinese coastline from Dalian to Shanghai to Xiamen, then down to Hong Kong, before heading back past Singapore for a crew change. Each voyage lasted six months, followed by two months of leave. And every port offered a new window into the world.

She helped manage the ship’s logistics: cargo loading, bunker replenishment, and provision runs. From Kolkata to Karachi, from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean, her journey was measured not just in nautical miles but in the tastes, smells and rhythms of maritime life. 

At Muscat, the crew spent days fishing, during their off-duty hours, whilst waiting for the ship to dock. They would load one line with six hooks and they would successfully catch six fish each time.  At night, barracudas circled; they switched to wire lines and several were caught.  They would also lower baited cages into the water and haul up crabs, lobsters and prawns.  The sea fed them daily.

At Dammam, they caught red snappers. At Cape Town, the Captain, Chief Engineer and Magdalene were brought to the vineyard by the Ship's Agent for some wine tasting.  The wine was so good that they each ended up buying five cases, at only US$1 a bottle. The ship carried South African fruit like apples, pears, oranges, lemons and grapes.

But not every journey was smooth.  At Khorramshahr, in Iran, the ship was anchored for three months amidst political unrest.  It was there that Magdalene's life would shift again.  She became fascinated by the ship's radio equipment and learnt to operate them under the guidance of the Burmese Radio Officer. She practised Morse code each morning, slowly mastering the morse key.

When they returned to Singapore, she signed off and flew to Manchester to study. Two years later, she returned with a British Radio Officer certificate as the first Singaporean woman to hold that title.

Anchored on Land, But Still Full of Life

After two decades circling the globe, Magdaleine returned to port one final time. The International Maritime Organisation in Belgium had announced the end of an era. With the rise of computerised systems, radio officers were no longer needed. Just like that, her role became obsolete.

But Magdaleine didn’t miss a beat. An Australian company that had won a major contract with Singapore’s Ministry of Education was looking for someone to help build school libraries across the country. And they found her.

From sailing ships to storybooks, Magdaleine now trained school librarians on how to run the Spydus System, catalogue books, and manage loans and returns. She was posted to CHIJ Kellock, where a brand-new school and library were being built at Bukit Purmei. She helped design the entire space, from the layout to the wooden furniture, and handpicked the very first books to line the shelves.

Her passion for painting found new life in classrooms. Frequently, she’d paint murals and tell stories to wide-eyed children while teachers marked papers. During Chinese New Year, she’d bring out her stash of ang pao packets and teach students how to fold them into lanterns and festive decorations. Even Primary 1 students got in on the fun, turning red packets into tiny fishes. Her library was never bare — it burst with colour, characters, and life, from Roald Dahl portraits to seasonal art.

Later, she was transferred to Raffles Girls’ Primary. By age 60, she decided it was time to slow down and finally retired, spending her days painting quietly at home.

Yet, Magdaleine never truly left the maritime world. As a proud member of the Singapore Maritime Officers Union (SMOU), she remains connected to the community that shaped her. For just $9 a month, the union continues to care for its officers by organising excursions, festive buffets, National Day and Christmas celebrations, and even offering cruises just for members. “They take really good care of us,” she says with a smile. “If you’re looking for a ship, they’ll find one for you.”

From the radio room to the reading room, Magdaleine’s journey is one of reinvention, resilience, and radiant joy — a testament to the adventurous spirit that never left her.

Passing the Torch

Today, Magdaleine may be retired, but her mission is far from over. She now dedicates her time to sharing her story with the next generation, especially those about to finish their O and A-Level exams. In schools across Singapore, she tells students about the extraordinary life the sea can offer — a life of resilience, discovery, and boundless opportunity.

“The maritime industry gave me everything,” she says. “And it still can, for anyone brave enough to go.”

For students with strong results, Singapore’s polytechnics offer maritime academies that train future ship officers and engineers, often taught by retired captains who now prefer the classroom to the helm. For those whose results aren't as strong, there’s still a way in through Wavelink Maritime, a school set up by the Singapore Maritime Officers Union at the Devan Nair Institute. There, experienced seafarers teach real world Maritime skills to local as well as foreign students and mid-career adults looking for a change in their careers. 

In a world rushing toward the digital and the deskbound, Magdaleine continues to be a living reminder of the adventure, dignity, and freedom found at sea. Her message is simple, but profound:

“The sea doesn't care where you start — only that you're willing to sail.”

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And that is all for today’s One Sneak Peek Into.

Stay tuned for more insights from our interview series as we continue to explore the stories of trailblazers breaking barriers and redefining success.