Annie Wilcox grew up with a strong foundation on the water in the Boothbay region. She spent many summers as a child at her grandparent’s house on Sawyers Island (Bud & Ann Logan), messing around on the family’s Boston Whaler. She attended the Boothbay and Southport sailing schools, acquiring familiarity with all things aquatic. As soon as Annie could get her workers permit at 14, she applied to work at Hodgdon Yachts in the harbor at the gas dock. She loved working the docks, and had an awesome boss. These experiences and positive role models cemented her admiration for the water.

During high school, she completed Ocean Classroom’s semester at sea, onboard the Harvey Gamage, sailing around the Caribbean before sailing up the east coast to Acadia, and then back down to Boothbay Harbor. The experiential learning was invaluable. She said it was very special to be able to sail into your hometown after 4 months at sea, with friends and family waiting for her at the dock. Then, run your new/used car with friends through the mud puddles at the gravel pits. Goodbye 4 Runner.

Annie graduated BRHS in 2010, and began her college career at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. She made some great friends and had a lot of fun. Perhaps a bit too much fun! She transferred to New York Maritime in 2013, where she continued her pursuit of becoming a merchant mariner. Her cadet internship was on board the Maersk Idaho, a 900-foot container ship transiting the East Coast - over to the Mediterranean, through the Suez Canal - throughout the Middle East.

Upon graduation in 2017, Annie landed her first job as an Able Seaman onboard the Eagle Bay, an 800-foot crude oil tanker owned by Exxon Mobil, running from Valdez, Alaska to the West Coast. Shortly after her first hitch, Exxon sold their ships to Crowley, which left Annie looking for a new ship. She spent her time between shipping jobs working as a deckhand with the Maine State Ferry Service. Annie loved working in Penobscot Bay on the ferries, it’s a beautiful part of coastal Maine.

In late 2018, Annie’s next ship was a 900-foot Integrated Tug & Barge the Moku Pahu. This barge was actually built close to home at Bath Iron Works. She joined in Puerto Rico, transporting dry bulk cargo to Jacksonville, then down to Central America. She picked up her next job in early 2019, on a double eagle product tanker the Oregon, owned by Crowley Maritime. This ship carries refined products in the Gulf of Mexico. She then took a break from shipping in 2020, working at an oil terminal in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It wasn't the best time to try out the shoreside lifestyle, because COVID hit. She decided to go back to sea in 2021. She took a job on a government crane ship the Grand Canyon State in San Francisco. It was a decommissioning project – basically putting the ship to bed.

Annie is currently a permanent mate on the Brenton Reef, owned by Seabulk Tankers, another double eagle class tanker. Annie finds older ships to be more interesting than new ones, as there are more projects and opportunities to learn. The Brenton Reef was on the Gulf of Mexico run up until December. These past three months, they have been running renewable diesel from the Mississippi River - thru the Panama Canal - up to Long Beach, California.

Annie loves her job. She is currently taking her Chief Mate classes in hopes of climbing the ranks and getting promoted. When she’s not working, you can find her running around Boothbay Harbor in her Boston Whaler, skurfing in Linekin Bay, bringing friends (people from away) to see the seals in the Sheepscot, and making sweatshirts for the locals. Annie is very proud of being from the Boothbay region, and to represent our community as a Maritime Explorer