#SeafarerJourney: Duvon Green combines life at sea and content creation

A life on the sea can be quite exhilarating, and for Duvon Green, capturing those moments has become as important as living them.

Green, who works as a deckhand and chase boat operator, was born and raised in Kingston, attending St George’s College before pursuing a degree in marine and nautical studies at the Caribbean Maritime University. However, it’s his role as a digital content creator – capturing stunning images and videos of his work and travels – that many would find most compelling.

With the annual International Day of the Seafarer, celebrated on June 25, embracing the theme ‘Your voyage – then and now, share your journey’, Shipping Industry took this opportunity to learn more about Green’s professional endeavours so far.

He shared that he got his start in the maritime industry through networking. “Walking the docks of the Royal Jamaica Yacht Club and Loose Cannon Tours in Kingston, Jamaica, where I eventually landed an opportunity to work along with various boat operators at sea to learn first-hand operations on boating and general navigation and seamanship.”

IMPORTANCE UNAPPRECIATED

The importance of the sector often goes unappreciated by the average person, he said, sharing, “The maritime industry is far larger than people think. For example, the average civilian sees a ship in the harbour and thinks, OK just another ship in our waters,’ not knowing that that ship could be the very reason why they’re not starving or have electricity at home.”

Green continued, “As for me and other seafarers, it’s our passion and we deliver to the best of our ability, regardless of the sector, whether it’s commercial or the private sector of the industry.”

Regarding the union of his profession and his passion, he said it was an “easy step”.

“My content creation journey started as a graphic designer, and this is before starting college. I still do it for various brands and personal use, and that developed into videography [for] which I have a stronger passion, for documenting events and putting my creative twist for others to love and share with other enthusiasts.

“Combining those skills and the maritime industry was an easy step. Nobody can resist content on the waters, as it’s very peaceful and soothing. I try to produce content for everyone to enjoy a bit of each sector of the maritime world, and sometimes I may showcase other things outside of that. So, some enjoy seeing the yachts, while others enjoy seeing commercial ships, etc. Everyone gets a bit of joy.”

LACK OF EXPERIENCE AN ISSUE

One issue that continues to affect the industry is the employment of less experienced candidates. He said, “From a global perspective, it’s quite challenging, unlike any career field, for new aspirants of the industry. It is very difficult getting onboard that first vessel to start your career, especially in the commercial field. While there are many factors which can affect that, for example, geographic location and the fact that Jamaica owns no ships, compared to India, China, etc, because you are competing on a global scale, it is even more difficult.”

Despite those challenges, Green said he would not change anything about his career path. “Looking at my journey thus far, there’s nothing I’d change, as [you] need to live and learn from your experiences in order to grow and adapt quickly in this industry. So all my hiccups and mistakes and successes were all worth it. I never needed to make anything ‘perfect’, just continue to let things be.”

For those looking to enter the industry, he had this bit of advice to share: “Do prior research leading up to committing to this industry. It is very wide and there are many routes to choose within and, as such, it will take extensive planning, consulting and experiences, which you’ll gather along the way.”

Seafarers can share their experiences and thoughts on the industry’s evolution on social media for this year’s Day of the Seafarer campaign using the hashtag #SeafarerJourney.