These are stories about friends, family and people I interview along the way and various stories.
North Atlantic – September 19 Date and time: 19.09.25, 12:00 Location: LAT 55.22°, LON 32.12° SOG (speed over ground): 10.6 knots Wind: 4 knots The winds have dropped, and the day is bright and calm, though long swells still roll the ship enough to make…
The pull of the Orkneys Behind Scapa Flow A lonely island with sheep Yearning for quiet. Crass velvet painting Bright pumpkin orange Is only found in nature And not on a brush. (Photo by Nigel Greenwood) Where to look with all that beauty Night watch…
North Atlantic – September 18 Date and time: 18.09.25, 11:00 Location: LAT 56.48°, LON 39.13° SOG (speed over ground): 10.6 knots Wind: 9 knots The sun is shining today after what was a rolly night. The winds have eased, the seas a little too, though…
North Atlantic – September 17 Date and time: 17.09.25, 00:30 (UTC -1) Location: LAT 58.37°, LON 44.19° SOG (speed over ground): 2.8 knots Wind: 39 knots The storm found us in the night. By half past midnight the wind was up to 39 knots, the…
In part two of my conversation with 2nd Officer Louie Abdon Dumagat, we continue along the bridge console, focusing on radar, steering, and communication systems. Louie explains the differences between X-band and S-band radar, how officers read the echoes of waves and whitecaps, and why…
North Atlantic – September 16 Date and time: 16.09.25, 14:00 (UTC -2) Location: LAT 59.51°, LON 49.30° SOG (speed over ground): 10.4 knots Wind: 25 knots The winds have risen and the sky shows what lies ahead: a storm gathering along the south of Greenland.
I have been wrestling with my emotions for the last days. On the surface, nothing has changed. We are still sailing. Life on board is fun and comforting. The time at sea, as well as at port, is constantly shifting. So, it is hard to…
Greenland Waters – September 15 Date and time: 15.09.25, 00:45 Location: LAT 62.58°, LON 54.03° SOG (speed over ground): 11 knots Wind: 7 knots The seas have been calm through the night and into the morning, a welcome stretch of quiet. The day began with…
This week’s images are of northern landscapes. From the little I have seen of these skies, waters, and shores, I am struck by their starkness. Until now I felt most at home in tropical places, but perhaps age, or simply the gift of this chance…
3rd Officer Beata tells how a girl once scared of the surf found her way to the sea. From a seasick voyage that reset her life to months on a tall ship and work on her country’s training vessel, she traces routes, races, and her…
A day in the life of an AB* Going on standby The anchor is soon to drop Orders come from bridge. (AB= able body) Waiting with(out) patience We wait for two days Being at anchor costs nerves Only blues and white. A Monarch on deck…
The heart of the family The job of a ship steward is relatively easy to describe. They are there to help keep the two messes running during mealtimes. They assist the cook when needed. And they keep all of the offices and messes in tiptop…
In this candid podcast, I sat down with Nigel Greenwood, a seasoned ice navigator and retired Navy officer, who kindly agreed to an impromptu interview. We talked about his journey from military college to Arctic consultancy, his role aboard commercial and expedition ships, and the…
This week’s selection is a set of portraits of the officers and crew on board. I asked their permission before taking them, and most were eager to pose, as is the way in our Instagram age.
Keeping the ship fed and the crew together The ship owners might tell you the captain is the most important person on board. The crew would probably disagree. They know that if the cook is good, morale stays high. If the cook falters, everything else…
I answer your questions from life on board: what it means to sit in the so-called captain’s chair, how the constant hum, groans, and knocks of the ship become background, and why downtime is scarce. I share how meals are planned, what it is like…
Going to the Philharmonic So many big ships All on their way to Hamburg We will have to wait. Super futuristic horizon We call them wind parks Hundreds of masts pointing high Crosses to heaven. David and Goliath Ship looming starboard Makes him feel so…
Some of you have asked me to describe a typical day on board. The problem is that there is no such thing as a typical. Weather changes, time zones shift, and schedules bend around inspections or harbour arrivals. Still, there is a rhythm to life…
It has been over four weeks since I boarded MV Roland Oldendorff, momentarily my home away from home. What I thought would be an extraordinary and once-in-a-lifetime experience has become ordinary, yet deeply special. And somewhere in the midst of this I have realised that…
Christian, a ship pilot on the River Elbe, kindly agreed to do an impromptu podcast with me on the bridge. It was a rare opportunity, since the pilots we have had so far have come aboard in the middle of the night, way after I…