When Laddie signs on to join the cargo liner Antigone for a voyage to the Far East, he joins an array of characters with plenty of experiences and stories to share about life at sea. During the long voyage from England towards Hong Kong, Singapore and around the South China Sea, Laddie experiences the long watches of the night and observes the sea, weather and crew in their ever-changing moods. Richard Woodman draws upon his six years' service on ships similar to the Antigone, to capture evocatively the sights, smells, and day-to-day life aboard a cargo liner during the last great days of the Merchant Navy.
