seamanship

There is something beyond …

By Dave English

“The attainment of proficiency, the pushing of your skill with attention to the most delicate shades of excellence, is a matter of vital concern. Efficiency of a practically flawless kind may be reached naturally in the struggle for bread. But there is something beyond — a higher point, a subtle and unmistakable touch of love and pride beyond mere skill; almost an inspiration which gives to all work that finish which is almost art — which IS art.” Joseph Conrad, The Mirror of the Sea, 1906. Fascinating observations from the peak of perfection of the age of sail.

Just row

By Dave English

The siren birds look cool, flying around free in the sky. Odysseus is the hero we hear about tied to the mast, getting to listen to their siren song. But better to be the oarsmen. Heads down, doing the work, no distractions. Sometimes we have to ignore the sights and sounds out the window, or in our head, and just row! The vase is an Attic red-figure stamnos from Vulci c. 480-450 BCE depicting the myth of Odysseus tied to his ship’s mast in order to resist the enchanting song of the Sirens. It’s in the British Museum collection. The … Continue reading Just row

The sea is always ready

By Dave English

“We must remember that the sea is no respector of ships or persons. The sea is always ready, at the first sign of failure, to rush in and destroy the very craft it so readily supports upon the surface of the water. The sea is only safe and harmless so long as the ship is safe and seaworthy and ably handled.” Felix Riesenberg, Standard Seamanship for the Merchant Service, 1922.

Officer’s Aide Memoire

By Dave English

During WWII, the Royal Navy expanded at a great clip, which required staffing hundreds of ships with new officers. The shore training camp that turned civilians into Royal Navy officers was HMS King Alfred, in Hove, Sussex. It was commanded by one Captain John Noel Pelly, who was recalled from retirement at the start of the war. A few years later, in September 1943, he wrote a short book titled Officer’s Aide Memoire that distilled hundreds of years of sea-going knowledge from the Royal Navy into words. It was widely read among the over twenty-two thousand naval officers that eventually … Continue reading Officer’s Aide Memoire