Wed, 19 Aug
Red Sea, off Sudan
The pillow has fallen. Six weeks at sea. Bab el Mandeb in a couple of days.
Tue, 18 Aug
Red Sea
Flying fish, in numbers. Trivia, third place, and a debrief I did not enjoy.
Mon, 17 Aug
Red Sea
Forty one degrees. The chocolate did not survive. The tea did.
Sun, 16 Aug
Suez Canal
A building sliding through a desert at eight knots. The pilot talked for six hours.
Sat, 15 Aug
Port Said anchorage, Egypt
At anchor with thirty ships, waiting for a convoy slot. No shore leave for passengers.
Fri, 14 Aug
Eastern Mediterranean
Two hours in the engine room with Kev. My Miata turbo was, he says, a little one.
Thu, 13 Aug
Central Mediterranean, south of Malta
Thirty four degrees on deck. Suez paperwork season begins.
Wed, 12 Aug
Off Tunisia
A floating container off the port bow. Checked. Not ours. Apparently routine.
Tue, 11 Aug
Western Mediterranean
Film night. From Russia with Love. I have been assigned a role.
Mon, 10 Aug
Alboran Sea
The pool is filled. I have swum in a steel box on a moving ship.
Sun, 9 Aug
Strait of Gibraltar
Europe to port, Africa to starboard, and everyone off watch suddenly on deck.
Sat, 8 Aug
Off Portugal
The Atlantic went flat. An hour at the rail doing nothing at all.
Fri, 7 Aug
Off northwest Spain
The Captain briefed me in twelve words. Warm now. Do not fall off the ship.
Thu, 6 Aug
Bay of Biscay
Four miles walked round the boxes. Biscay behaved itself again.
Wed, 5 Aug
Western approaches
Container has advanced to knee level. This is a campaign, not a coincidence.
Tue, 4 Aug
English Channel
Back at sea with a stash. Forty one minutes in a Rotterdam supermarket, fully planned.
Mon, 3 Aug
North Sea, departing Rotterdam
Cast off on the tide. Tea supplies secured. Next stop, eventually, the Suez Canal.
Sun, 2 Aug
Rotterdam, NL
Still in port. Container has not shown any interest in going ashore.
Sat, 1 Aug
Rotterdam, NL
In port. Eighteen hours of shore leave planned around tea bags and ground that does not move.
Fri, 31 Jul
Rotterdam, NL
Arrived at the container terminal. Land, at last, and a list of things to buy.
Thu, 30 Jul
North Sea
Plain rice and plain toast continue. Elena is treating the situation like a pro.
Wed, 29 Jul
English Channel
Quiz night. The Starboard Minds came second. Respectable, apparently, is not enough.
Tue, 28 Jul
Bay of Biscay, approaching the Channel
Kite flying on the bridge deck. Priya issued instructions. The kite obeyed.
Mon, 27 Jul
Bay of Biscay
Seagulls have begun to judge us. Container has begun to colonise the accommodation.
Sun, 26 Jul
Atlantic Ocean, approaching Biscay
Seagulls have taken the top deck. Land must be thinking about us.
Sat, 25 Jul
Atlantic Ocean, western approaches
Peach cobbler. Two helpings. No apology offered.
Fri, 24 Jul
Atlantic Ocean
Clear blue skies, all day, in every direction. Nothing to report and everything to look at.
Thu, 23 Jul
Atlantic Ocean, north of the Azores
The engine room, at last. Kev was proud. I was very small.
Wed, 22 Jul
Atlantic Ocean
Tiny fishing off the stern with a hand line and total confidence.
Tue, 21 Jul
Atlantic Ocean
Kev promised a cathedral sized turbocharger. I have been thinking about it all day.
Mon, 20 Jul
Atlantic Ocean, mid crossing
A birthday I had not mentioned. A pie I did not expect. A song I did not enjoy.
Sun, 19 Jul
Atlantic Ocean
Sunday tea tasting with Elena. Six bags, ranked. Two contenders.
Sat, 18 Jul
Atlantic Ocean
Discovered the ship's library. A shelf in a corridor, entirely unlabelled.
Fri, 17 Jul
Atlantic Ocean
Finished the last of the three books. Considered starting one again.
Thu, 16 Jul
Atlantic Ocean, roughly 900 nm east of Savannah
The tea stash discovered. A formal tasting is now scheduled.
Wed, 15 Jul
Atlantic Ocean
Eye spy on the bridge at 02:30. Priya, three straight.
Tue, 14 Jul
Atlantic Ocean
The deck pool filled. I was the only swimmer.
Mon, 13 Jul
Atlantic Ocean, roughly 600 nm east of Savannah
Passenger guilt setting in. Told to write something down.
Sun, 12 Jul
Atlantic Ocean
The smell of the ship resolved into something I still cannot name.
Sat, 11 Jul
Atlantic Ocean
Land gone. The horizon does the work now.
Fri, 10 Jul
Atlantic Ocean, off the Carolinas
Cast off on the tide. Savannah, then a widening gap of water.
Thu, 9 Jul
Berth 8, Garden City Terminal
Boarded. Marco took the duffel. The Chief Officer mm'd.
Wed, 8 Jul
Savannah, GA
Medical on Bull Street. Two questions, one stamp.
Tue, 7 Jul
Savannah, GA
Paperwork with Doreen. Forms about forms.
Mon, 6 Jul · evening
Savannah, GA
Arrived at the guest house. Oysters, on principle.
Mon, 6 Jul · pm
Macon, GA
Boiled peanut pilgrimage. Ninety allocated minutes; fifteen required.
Mon, 6 Jul
Atlanta, GA
Left Peachtree Station on the 06:42 southbound.