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Showing posts from March, 2026

The Sea And Me

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 Keeping My Mind. I’ve been out at sea for the past 15 years now; it’s all I do. I wait for the tide to rise high enough to get the boat out of the Scottish harbour, travel five miles out into the North Sea (the most treacherous sea in the world), and then drop my anchor and grab about three hours of sleep. Of course, I check the weather beforehand, and as much as I try to be careful, the weather can change on a whim. I wish I didn’t have to sleep, but everyone knows that’s impossible. It can be even more dangerous when you’re asleep, not just because the weather can change suddenly, but also because fishing trawlers have a nasty habit of catching fire. There’s a mountain of electrical cabling mixed with a fuel tank containing 2000 litres of diesel, plus other hazards that I won’t bore you with being on board. This is a video I took not long ago, it was of a trawler on fire close to me. So yes, it is the most dangerous job in the world, just one wrong step and it's game over! Yet,...
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Dead in the Water: What the Sea Teaches When Everything Stops

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  Dead In The Water Two weeks ago I found myself five miles out in the North Sea , in the dark, with an engine that had just decided it had done enough for one lifetime. It didn’t fade quietly either. Smoke started pushing out from the engine and within moments it seized completely . One second the trawler was alive with its usual rhythm ,the hum of machinery, the steady pulse beneath the hull, and the next there was nothing but silence and the sound of water moving past a boat that could no longer move itself. When an engine dies at sea, you realise very quickly how much of your life depends on that single piece of metal. 🌊 It was night. Properly dark. The kind of dark you only really experience offshore. The water was choppy, the wind had a bite to it, and the North Sea had no interest in my plans . My batteries were slowly draining, so the lights were minimal. Out there, alone, drifting. For the first hour or so the mind does what the mind always does. It runs ahead ...
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Scotland, United Kingdom Scotland, UK
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Luxury Creamy Fish Pie with Leeks, Dijon & Buttery Mash *North Sea Recipe*

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  Rich, comforting and deeply satisfying, the ultimate elevated fish pie Buy Fresh Fish Straight From The Trawler This is not just any fish pie. Flaky white fish, sweet prawns and smoked haddock are folded through a silky Dijon cream sauce with soft leeks and fresh herbs. Topped with buttery mashed potato and baked until golden and crisp, it’s indulgent comfort food at its finest. Creamy, savoury and perfectly balanced, this is the fish pie people ask for again. ✅ Why This Fish Pie Is So Good A mix of fish for depth of flavour Smoked haddock adds richness Dijon mustard gives subtle warmth Creamy but not heavy Golden, buttery mash topping 🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4) For the Filling 300g cod loin, skinless 200g smoked haddock 150g raw king prawns 1 tbsp butter 1 leek, finely sliced 1 tbsp plain flour 300ml whole milk 100ml double cream 1 tsp Dijon mustard Handful fresh parsley, chopped Salt and white pepper For the Mash Toppi...
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Scotland, United Kingdom Scotland, UK
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