Six bold maritime quotes from the Barista
A damaged culture: Manila’s maritime sector uncovered
Calm seas and an ordered mind
Six bold maritime quotes from the Barista
As a maritime writer, I follow two cardinal rules. One is to write sincerely. The other is to be brief. “Brevity is the soul of wit”, Shakespeare wrote in his play ‘Hamlet’. It’s a sage advice which writers sometimes ignore when they are seduced by the sound of words.
A damaged culture: Manila’s maritime sector uncovered
Manila’s maritime sector has a unique culture that is also, to put it bluntly, incorrigibly damaged. Filipinos are neck-deep in the environment to even notice. The signs, however, are clear
Calm seas and an ordered mind
No need to do Buddhist meditation. Just gazing at a calm sea can bring a sense of inner peace. Look long enough and your mind begins to mirror the sea—quiet, well ordered, and unperturbed by all the noise of the workaday world.
The unseen culture of conformity in shipping
Six bold maritime quotes from the Barista
Recent Posts
Castaways in art and thoughts about life
Artworks depicting people who are cast ashore after a storm or shipwreck can be very moving. They are reminders, not only of the indifferent power of the sea, but of the vicissitudes of life and the human struggle. The following are five such works that tug at the heartstrings.
The L.A. wildfires: 12 powerful quotes to ponder
Pain and anguish attend all disasters. However, people react to them in different ways. Some may attribute such events to man’s folly and start pointing fingers at those they believe are responsible. Others may see them as a form of Divine retribution for man’s wrongdoings. The following are some thoughts to ponder in the wake of the wildfires that struck the Los Angeles area in early January 2025.
Seafarers’ rights: 3 simple wishes for 2025
There are any number of things one could wish for the shipping world in 2025. But out of prudence, I shall limit myself to three wishes. They all have to do with the rights and welfare of seafarers.
Three reasons I keep writing about seafarers’ rights
Why would any writer advocate seafarers’ rights for years when there’s no money in it for him? I can give three good reasons for my doing so, and none of them has to do with the fact that seafarers man the ships that transport 80% of global trade
A cup of love from appreciative readers
A number of kind-hearted readers have made donations through Buy Me a Coffee. Some have bought me one cup equiavalent to $5; others, more. The amount doesn’t really matter. I consider every donation as a cup of love, a grateful acknowledgement of my work as a writer.
Stopping awhile for the children of Gaza
I am taking time off from things maritime to spare a thought for the children of Gaza. Palestine may be thousands of miles away, but in my mind I can hear their cries amidst the genocide being carried out by the Zionist colonisers. How can anyone ignore what is happening?
21 powerful quotes for women in the maritime world
More women today work on board merchant ships than at any time in the past. On shore, women are occupying high positions in maritime companies and organisations. By and large, however, it’s still a male-dominated industry.
Seven sins of manning agents against seafarers
There are good and bad manning agents. From what I have seen up close over the years in Manila, I can confidently say that the bad ones outnumber the good ones. They have no compunction about using seafarers for their own ends, usually to fill their pockets.
Truths, lies & deceit: Great quotes for maritime people
In a materialistic world, honesty is not a common virtue. Don’t expect to find it in abundance in shipping, where folks often resort to lies, half-truths and deceit to get an advantage.
Spotlighting seafarers’ rights beyond MLC 2006
I have just published a new edition of ‘How to Protect Your Rights as a Seafarer’, a booklet which I first issued in 2020. This is my humble contribution to the worldwide campaign to promote the rights of those who toil at sea.
