This body of work is comprised of individual pieces that differ in media and scale, forming a series of linked and related encounters. All the works find their origin in an eighteen-month period of living on a hospital ship in West Africa, and the story of this time forms the basis of this book. In addition the intense and emotional experience of caring for a friend in the last few weeks of her life brought into focus thoughts of living and dying that seemed to be reflected in much of what I encountered on board. This book is a reflection of both my working process and the experiences, images and ideas that gave rise to it. I have tried to present the ambiguities of 'the ship', the paradoxes it embodies and its source as the inspiration for my work while at the same time hinting at its rich resonance in terms of both maritime histories and the literature it has generated.