Summary

Chapter 18 opens five weeks prior to the end of Chapter 17 and in San Francisco, where we learn Eddie Kerrigan was preparing for his first voyage as a third mate in the merchant marine, in which he had been sailing for the past five and a half years. As Eddie boarded the ship – the Elizabeth Seaman – he met the second mate, Farmingdale, and the captain, Captain Kittredge. Going down to the engine room, he ran into the ship’s Nigerian bosun (bosun being short for “boatswain”), with whom he had sailed previously. The two men did not get along, and Eddie perceived the well-educated and well-spoken bosun to be perpetually looking down on him. The bosun was clearly annoyed to learn that Eddie had been promoted to third mate.

The crew of the Elizabeth Seaman spent eight days loading the ship. During that time...