All those decades ago, when I made my first transatlantic crossing, I stood the four-to-eight watch in the mornings. At the time, it felt like waking up in the middle of the night, only to be rewarded by the slow arrival of the day.
Off the English Coast – August 30 Date and time: 30.08.25, 12:30 Location: LAT 57.31°, LON 00.35° SOG (speed over ground): 13.8 knots Wind: 12.3 knots Since leaving Hamburg we have covered 340 nautical miles (630 km), carried along by steady winds and favourable currents.
As children, Dave had his own personal varnishing crew every spring. He'd use a sanding machine to sand off the varnish from the large wooden surfaces on deck and in the cockpit. This was done relatively quickly. The heroes’ work was done by us, using…
North Sea – August 29 Date and time: 29.08.25, 14:00 Location: LAT 54.19°, LON 07.09° SOG (speed over ground): 12.8 knots Wind: 19 knots We left the berth around three o’clock this morning after waiting for tugboats, with pilots changing at each stage of the…
Storm systems roll through the Narvik fjord, marking the end of summer in northern Norway. As the temperature drops and the mountains begin to frost, I reflect on the differences between sailing and life aboard a commercial vessel. This episode captures the shift from feeling…
Living the last of his years Old captain alone His house looking out at sea Red in green, yearning. Watching with apprehension Steel grey storm clouds come Rolling over the mountains Setting sun shines through. Connection of the heart Narvik to Gibbson* Two sisters talk…
There is no better test of character than sailing with strangers. Friendships form just as quickly as tensions flare, and life on board, with its constant demands and cramped quarters, forces people to show who they really are. The weather and watch duties dissolve pretences,…
Germany – August 26 Date and time: 26.08.25 Location: LAT 53.52°, LON 09.06° SOG (speed over ground): 9.3 knots Wind: 6 knots We are on the Elbe River, making our way slowly into Hamburg harbor. The passage takes about ten hours and requires three different…
Leadership lessons show up in unexpected places. I have been travelling on board the MV Roland Oldendorff, a bulk carrier on a two-month voyage from Rotterdam to Narvik, Hamburg, Milne Inlet in the Canadian Arctic, and back again. Among the many things I have observed,…
Germany – August 25 Date and time: 25.08.25, 12:00 Location: LAT 54.31°, LON 07.10° SOG (speed over ground): 9.7 knots Wind: 12 knots We are nearing Hamburg. Arrival is planned for this afternoon, where we will anchor near the E2 buoy, Echo 2, at the…
Life at sea is measured differently here. On this ship, time is divided by engines, schedules, and formal systems. On a small boat, the watches shape the entire rhythm. No hierarchy to enforce the flow. Just the crew, the sea, and the slow passing of…
I join 2nd Officer, Louie Abdon Dumagat, on the bridge. He walks me through the heart of the ship’s navigation: the bridge control station. From depth sounders and radar to GPS and safety alarms, Louie patiently explains the purpose of each system and how they…
Date and time: 24.08.25, 11:00 Location: LAT 59.03°, LON 04.01° SOG (speed over ground): 12.1 knots Wind: lovely 16.4 knots It’s been a very quiet day and night. And being Sunday, everyone, more or less—unless it’s an absolute necessity—has the day off to relax. Except…
When I was doing long-distance sailing with my father all those decades ago, everything was more or less analog. I remember standing in the cockpit, looking down into the cabin and seeing him hunched over the chart table, trying to calculate where we were. Charts,…
This week's photos are about the ship, MV Roland Oldendorff, my home away from home.
Friends, Charlotte and Maila, asked me to include some of my sketches. I call them sketches because it is easier to call these dabbles this than “visual travel diary entries”. About six or seven years ago, when I was travelling to various marvellous corners of…
Norway – August 23 Date and time: 23.08.25, 11:00 Location: LAT 63.55°, LON 05.25° SOG (speed over ground): 11.6 knots Wind: 20 knots The weather has shifted. Seas are a little more restless, the wind stronger, and the crew is out on deck tackling one…
Date and time: 22.08.25, 13:00 Location: LAT 67.80°, LON 12.04° SOG (speed over ground): 11.9 knots Wind: 12.8 knots We slipped out of Narvik in the early hours, the pilot riding with us until the fjord was safely behind us, which was about 02:00. Now…
The best learning often begins when you stop trying to teach. I discovered that years ago in Germany, not long after leaving Canada with a shiny new engineering degree. At Siemens, I was training service technicians, armed with manuals and stacks of circuit diagrams. I…
Off the stern of the ship Misty rain sweeps through Like a heavenly facial Over mountain tops. Unexpected guest Pretty arctic tern Comes to visit and to chirp Leaves some poop behind. I hold my breath in wonder The sun burns down Phenomenal blue mirage…