Overview

A funny, honest, and unforgettable memoir of a young man's life at sea during the final years of Britain's great merchant fleet. In 1972, seventeen-year-old Denis [Surname] stepped aboard his first ship with more enthusiasm than experience. Over the next four years he sailed through the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, and the Bay of Bengal, serving on tankers, cargo ships, and tramp steamers at a time when the world - and the Merchant Navy - was changing fast. What followed was a crash course in adulthood conducted on heaving decks, in sweltering engine rooms, and in bars from Jeddah to Veracruz. Along the way Denis survived heatstroke, insect invasions, tropical storms, dubious cabarets, and an encounter with Mexican police that could have ended very differently. He also discovered the limits of his own practicality, the power of tact, and the surprising number of ways a cadet can get into trouble without really trying. Told with dry humour, sharp observation, and the perspective of a man looking back on a vanished era, this memoir captures the camaraderie, chaos, and coming-of-age of life at sea in the 1970s - from the absurdities of shipboard hierarchy to the beauty and brutality of the world beyond the horizon. A warm, wry, and deeply human story for readers who enjoy maritime history, travel memoirs, and true tales of adventure.

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