These are stories about friends, family and people I interview along the way and various stories.
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.
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
We are in Narvik Harbour on a rainy, grey day, as the loading continues after a breakdown caused a delay. While we wait to see if everything can be finished in time, I take the chance to answer some of the thoughtful questions you have…
Someone asked me recently what exactly this voyage is. Is it an adventure? A vacation? How do I see it? Before boarding in Lübeck, I thought of it as an adventure. The sort of thing I told people, and even strangers about with anticipation and…
This morning, I watched as iron ore poured into hold number three. There was no dust or dirt, nothing grimy or messy, but more like dark water, a black river streaming down. Beautiful in its own way. Because it is Sunday, there is no point…
The ship’s normal routine is broken by seven short blasts followed by one long. The Chief Officer announces that this is an abandon ship drill. Crew members move quickly to the muster area, donning life jackets and carrying their immersion suits. The atmosphere is calm…
Before I left for this voyage, the family gave me a short list of rules. “Guidelines,” they called them. I called them “terms and conditions,” though apparently I did not get to negotiate. The first was simple: stay safe. This came with the sailor’s mantra,…
Starring out from the bridge White sea foam churning A wave breaking on the bow Like moving marble. Photo by Peter Fogden on Unsplash Before the crew comes to work on deck The seas have calmed down Waddling on my sea legs Doing 10K steps. Doing stomach flips…
(Disclaimer: I get Upper Deck and Deck A mix up. The moment I leave the officers’ mess and go down the stairs, I am talking about the Upper Deck.) In this episode, I take you on a tour of my home at sea, a five-deck…