Travelogue: calm seas

Baffin Bay – September 13
Date and time: 13.09.25, 12:35
Location: LAT 71.27°, LON 65.14°
SOG (speed over ground): 11.4 knots
Wind: 4 knots

The night was swallowed by fog, a vast grey bank that lingered until morning. Then, as though on cue, the air cleared to reveal flat seas alive with birds—some alone, some wheeling in flocks, a constant, darting presence around the ship.

I took to the deck for a walk, and for the first time in weeks it felt almost balmy. My winter coat was enough, no long johns required, and I could almost convince myself the world was warming.

The ship feels different too, sitting lower in the water, her weight now pressing deep with a full load instead of ballast. From Hamburg we rose high and empty, but now we carry a hundred eighteen thousand tons of cargo. She is heavy but steady, and at 11.4 knots we make our way forward, the fog behind us, the open Atlantic ahead.