When I look back now, I see that it was the best thing for a young man. I wish more young men could work at sea in their 20s. It was an amazing adventure. I saw foreign countries, whales, exotic seabirds, super schools of tuna and I lived with people from cultures very different from my own. We transversed parts of the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. I finished an academic degree through correspondence, read tonnes of books and continued language learning.
If my seaman’s book is anything to go by, I’ve spent over 5oo days at sea. Luckily I’ve been paid for each one…
