Bosun
Bosun "Tiny" Okafor
Lagos, Nigeria
Six foot six, not tiny. Reigning dominoes champion, season 14.
Runs the deck crew with a whistle, a raised eyebrow, and an absolute refusal to explain anything twice. Has held the ship's dominoes title for so long that new hires are simply informed of the ranking during onboarding. His laugh is audible from the foredeck. It is not deployed often.
Portrait is a comic book invention. Under the conditions of my passage, no likeness of the working crew may appear here, names have been changed and faces drawn from memory.
Sunday, 1 November 2026Dolphins off Baja
A quiet Sunday morning, a pod of dolphins at the bow, warm air at last, talk of the crew pool, and a biscuit tin that is lighter than it was on Friday.
Saturday, 31 October 2026Halloween in the Mess
A pumpkin carved like the ship, a crew party at sea, Big Kev dressed as himself, a costume coincidence, and a very small pie.
Friday, 30 October 2026I Hired a Sports Car, Briefly
Shore leave. A Porsche with the roof down, the Pacific Coast Highway, a Chief Officer who drives the way she plays Scrabble, tea, biscuits, and an engine photograph for Tiny.
Thursday, 29 October 2026Landfall at Long Beach
California out of the dawn haze, a pilot boat, an orchestra of tugs, customs officers who do not like jokes, and the strange feeling of solid ground.
Wednesday, 28 October 2026Paperwork and Suspicion
The day before landfall. Forms, crew lists, Marco ironing everything, a shopping list of exactly two items, and a cat who will not leave my bag.
Saturday, 24 October 2026The Dream Garage, Revised
A late shift in the engine control room with Tiny and Yuki, a garage expanded from five spaces to ten, the Miata promoted, and the brass object revealed.
Friday, 23 October 2026After the Gale
A grey morning on deck with Tiny and his crew, checking every lashing on a ship the length of four football pitches. My arms will never be the same.
Wednesday, 21 October 2026The Starboard Minds Win
After two seconds, a third, and a debrief I still think about, our trivia team finally wins. A car question decides it. Priya's high five lasts slightly too long.
Sunday, 18 October 2026Tiny's Workshop
The second Saturday, a lathe, a lump of brass, and a long conversation with Tiny about fathers, Peugeots, and the correct way to hold a file.
Friday, 16 October 2026Followed Everywhere
A quiet day after the excitement, a long walk with my silent escort, and an attempt to discover exactly how a cat enters a locked cabin.
Tuesday, 13 October 2026The Bridge Has a Biscuit Tin
Dawn drinks with Priya, an increasingly public biscuit collection, and a Pacific crossing measured in small familiar rituals.
Monday, 12 October 2026Engines We Will Never Fit
Tiny and I resume the imaginary engine swaps, with Big Kev providing engineering criticism nobody had requested.
Saturday, 10 October 2026Birthdays on the Back Deck
Elena takes the world menu outdoors, two birthdays are celebrated, and my policy on desserts undergoes public scrutiny again.
Thursday, 8 October 2026The Hose and the Pacific
A supervised turn with the fire hose produces considerably more joy than is dignified for a man my age.
Wednesday, 7 October 2026Watching the Fire Drill
A bridge view of the fire drill reveals how much quiet preparation sits underneath an uneventful day at sea.
Tuesday, 6 October 2026The Garage in the Control Room
Tiny and I begin assembling a dream garage in a room full of machinery that makes all our engines look decorative.
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.
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.
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.