Latest Dispatch · 19 August 2026
The Pillow Has Fallen
Red Sea, off Sudan · 19.8° N, 38.6° E
Six weeks in, halfway down the Red Sea, and I woke at 07:00 with a cat's face two inches from mine, occupying territory that used to be mine.
Red Sea, off Sudan · 19 August 2026
18 August 2026Flying Fish and a Quiet Day
Fish that leave the water and stay out of it for longer than seems reasonable, a lost trivia rematch, and a debrief I did not enjoy.
17 August 2026The Red Sea and the Heat
Forty one degrees, a stash inventory conducted in secret, and the discovery that chocolate has a limited operational lifespan in this climate.
16 August 2026The Canal Transit
A 400 metre ship moving through a ditch in the desert at walking pace, with sand on both sides and a pilot who talked continuously for six hours.
15 August 2026Port Said Anchorage
Anchored in a queue of ships waiting for a convoy slot, watching a city glow on the horizon that I am not permitted to visit.
14 August 2026The Engine Room at Full Noise
Two hours below with Big Kev, ear defenders that did not entirely work, and a machine so large it stops being a machine and becomes weather.
13 August 2026South of Malta
Thirty four degrees on deck, a dinner that silenced the mess, and the beginning of Suez paperwork season.
12 August 2026The Floating Container
A rusted box in the water off the port bow, a very short period of genuine alarm, and a lesson in how routinely the sea eats cargo.
11 August 2026From Russia with Love
Priya invited me to a film in the crew television room. I had no idea I was a Bond girl. I have decided that I like it.
10 August 2026The Mediterranean and the Pool
Sea temperature crossed the threshold. The pool has been filled. I have swum in a metal box on the deck of a moving ship and I would like everyone to know about it.
9 August 2026Through the Strait of Gibraltar
Africa on one side, Europe on the other, and the entire ship's company suddenly finding a reason to be on deck.
8 August 2026Portugal and the Flat Calm
A sea so flat it looked wrong. I stood at the rail for an hour and did not check my phone once, largely because I have not switched it on since Savannah.
7 August 2026Off the Spanish Coast
Warm air for the first time since the Atlantic, and a conversation with the Captain that lasted three sentences and contained more than most meetings I have sat through.
6 August 2026Biscay Again, but Kinder
The bay let us through without argument. I walked four miles round the boxes and thought about absolutely nothing.
5 August 2026The Pillow Campaign Begins
Container has moved two inches up the bed. This is not random. This is a campaign, and I am now taking measurements.
4 August 2026The Supermarket Dash
Eighteen hours in Rotterdam, a shopping list written like an operations order, and a personal stash that is now the most valuable cargo aboard.
3 August 2026A Kite, Plain Rice, and a Respectable Second
Priya taught me to fly a kite from the bridge deck. Elena moved me onto plain rice and plain toast. Container has claimed the foot of my bed. We came second at trivia.
27 July 2026The Cat, the Eggplant and a Trivia Team I Did Not Ask For
I woke up to find the ship's cat at the foot of my bed. I also discovered I do not like eggplant. Priya has rostered me onto her trivia team. The seagulls are judging all of us.
26 July 2026Gulls, Diesel and a Peach Cobbler: 22 to 26 July
Tiny fished off the stern, Kev finally opened the engine room, the sky went a ridiculous blue, and Elena produced a peach cobbler that has rearranged my priorities.
21 July 2026The Laundry, the Engine Room, and a Pie I Did Not Share
I found the laundry, lost the argument about outdoor drying, missed driving, and told Big Kev about my turbocharged Miata. He was unimpressed.
20 July 2026A Birthday that I did not mention
A key lime pie the size of one honest portion, a song I did not enjoy, and the discovery that this ship has Starlink and a library. My iPhone remains, on principle, switched off.
16 July 2026Warm Water and a Stash of Tea: 14, 15 and 16 July
I have found a swimming pool, lost a game of eye spy at 02:30, and accidentally befriended the cook with a hidden supply of hotel tea.
13 July 2026Useless and Thrilled: Three Days Out of Savannah
The ship finally moved. The horn, the gap of water, the smell of diesel and salt and something I cannot name. I have never felt more superfluous in my life.
9 July 2026Aboard at Last: Berth 8, Garden City Terminal
I am on the ship. I have a cabin. I have met three of the crew. We sail tomorrow on the tide.
8 July 2026Embarkation Notes from Savannah
Three days of humidity, oysters, paperwork, and a very serious conversation with a shipping agent named Doreen.
Monday, 6 July 2026Departure: Atlanta, 06:42, Peachtree Station
The train south. A duffel that will not zip. A MacBook balanced on my knees. A boiled peanut vendor who asked no questions.
3 July 2026The Plan, or: How I Ended Up Booking Passage on a Container Ship
A quiet run of free time, one wall map, and a slightly unhinged spreadsheet. This is how the whole thing started.
The Premise
Some time on my hands. One duffel. One MacBook. One 400 metre container ship out of Savannah.
I have found myself with some time on my hands. Rather than learn Italian or buy a road bike, I have elected to circumnavigate the world by container ship, filing regular dispatches from the weather deck. The coffee is strong. The WiFi is not.