Life at sea: way back then

It has been over 35 years since I last did any long-distance sailing. Back then, I was on a 17-metre yawl and not a 150–180-metre dry bulk carrier like the one I’ll be joining soon.

We usually had four to six people on board. The vessel I’ll sail with will likely carry six to eight officers and twelve to sixteen crew members. Quite a different scale.

When I sailed with my father, Dave, he handled all the route planning, coordinated people coming on and off the boat at various destinations, and was, of course, both captain and navigator. For the longer passages, the ones that stretched over a week or more, he tried to find someone to share night watches and help with navigation. GPS and satellite systems weren’t available to us then. You needed someone who could really navigate.

My role was provisioning the boat and planning meals before leaving land. While on sea, I was the main cook for breakfast and dinner (everyone was on their own for lunch). I also took part in the regular watch rotation. The other crew members pitched in as sous chefs, dishwashers, and did watches. Everyone helped keep the boat clean, above and below deck.

Our watches were divided into three-hour shifts, which meant eight watches in a 24‑hour cycle. With four people on board, each of us had one daytime and one nighttime shift. As the main cook, I had the privilege to choose my watches. I took the 3 to 6 am shift and the 3 to 6 pm shift, so I could cook after each one and then be off for a longer stint.

There’s something about recalling those rhythms now, all these years later, that brings a quiet sense of readiness. The roles have obviously changed, the boat is certainly bigger, but the structure, the shared responsibility, and the movement of time at sea—they will hopefully feel familiar once I am onboard.