About me

2014-09-11_0001I have been at sea for over 40 years.  Indentured as an apprentice in the British and Commonwealth Shipping Co, I served on Clan Line General cargo and Reefer ships, Union-Castle Mail ships, Bulk carriers and Container ships.  I obtained my Masters Certificate in 1980 and served on Cross-Channel ferries as 2nd, Chief Officer and Master.  I presently command cruise ships and have done so for almost 20 years.

 

60 thoughts on “About me”

  1. Best wishes for your captaining (is that a word?) your final world cruise. We have enjoyed sailing with you on previous cruises. Wishing you “Fair winds and following seas.”

  2. So happy to see that you are back for the world cruise. We enjoy watching your posts on our PC. We watched your departure from Fort Lauderdale last night courtesy of their webcam. Wish we could have been on the Amsterdam.

    Have a wonderful cruise. We take this opportunity to wish you and Karen all the very best on your retirement.

    1. Hello Lee & Pat, posts will start as from commencing the Grand World voyage. I join on the 4th and once I have “my feet under the table” 😊 I will start posting.

  3. It was so good to sail again with you and Karen on the 2019 Grand World Voyage! Wish I could join you on the 2020 adventure but need to save some money (unless I could be a “stowaway.” 🙂

    Question – is there any way to get transcriptions of the various nautical idioms you told us? I loved the history behind these words/phrases.

    Thanks!

  4. Hello Jonathan.
    I wish to congratulate you on your fine blog. Having friends who cruise with you have given me the site you post. I have not cruised on HAL but have been on other cruise lines. I sent one to a Captain friend who knows you of old and he was very happy to talk about you. He is Chris Lye. I would like to let you know i also use a small Panasonic travel camera and have a small Manfrotto monopod for my video taking as this steadies the camera.
    Once again i look forward to your next post.
    Regards.
    Norm.

  5. I was on the 2014 World and have enjoyed reading every one of your posts since then. I really would like to do another one but in the mean time I am traveling the world through your writings. One question. I have been trying to find your book with no success. Where can I purchase a copy? I heard it is a really good read.

  6. Dear Captain,
    My very first time aboard any ship was in July, 2005 HAL Oosterdam. You were our Captain, and I met you briefly in the Neptune Lounge as back then we were still shaking hands and meeting the Captain over champagne! You inspired confidence and a sense of “serious fun”! It was such a glorious cruise, and it sold me on cruising! Since then I’ve become a 4 star Mariner on HAL and can’t get enough. I’ve been lucky enough to be on your ships several times over the years, the most recent being on the Amsterdam in August 2018 where I celebrated my 65th birthday. I was so excited that you, my first Captain, were at the helm! I am really just writing now to express my appreciation for you and to wish you all the best in your continuing life’s adventures!! I’ll be following your blog – which I’ve only just discovered~!

  7. Thank you Captain Jonathan – we were on the Alaska Cruise August 19-26. This was a once in a lifetime cruise for my mother who is in a power chair. The crew was always helpful getting her off and on the ship.
    We really liked your answer to the lady who asked “Why ships are referred to as ‘her’.
    From Druide.com —
    “Seafarers, historians and writers alike provide various reasons for the tradition of calling ships she, ranging from viewing a vessel as a motherly, womb-like, life-sustaining figure to jokingly likening a ship to a woman who is expensive to keep and needs a man to guide her and a lick of paint to look good. Some view the practice as outdated and patronizing toward women, while others view it as an important tradition and a sign of respect toward the vessel.”

    Thank you for a wonderful cruise!

 

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A medley of command, travel and family