Episode Details

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Harshal Singh is a marine engineer who has spent most of his career on oil tankers. He emailed us from inside a war zone: stuck on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz while Iran blockaded it and traded fire with American forces, watching ships around him get hit by drones and missiles. One technical fault delayed his vessel by a day, and the ship that took his slot in the queue was struck by a missile the next morning. He lived the geopolitics most people only scroll past. He tells it with no drama and no myth-making about life at sea.

In this episode, Vinamre and Harshal discuss:

• The Strait of Hormuz blockade from inside — Iran vs American forces, drone/missile-hit ships, and the delay that saved his ship
• Ship-to-ship oil transfers, Sinokor tankers, and how Venezuela, Qatar and the VLCC trade move the world's crude
• Seafarers abandoned at sea — unpaid wages, weak unions, and what happens when a shipping company walks away
• Sailor life nobody sees — Starlink at sea, onboard habits, food, and how it keeps the world's shelves stocked
• Every kind of ship — cruise liners, bulk/car/livestock carriers, ULCCs, freak waves, and naval architects who design for them
• Why he left an advertising degree for the sea — the best ports he's seen, and crew friendships
• What's next after years at sea, plus Vinamre's Japan trip and how travel changes worldview

Follow Harshal Singh on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/from.sea.to.shore/

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Coming Up

00:01:24 – Strait of Hormuz blockade

00:02:31 – Iran America war explained

00:05:42 – Missile hits next ship

00:06:55 – Somali pirates hijacking ships

00:08:59 – Pirate ransom and escorts

00:13:25 – One month Hormuz posting

00:22:59 – Ship to ship transfer

00:24:58 – Daily drone attacks at sea

00:31:12 – Sailor salary and pay

00:33:10 – Sinokor tanker company explained

00:34:23 – Venezuela oil and sanctions

00:38:37 – Qatar and Gulf power

00:42:24 – Drone jammers and defences

00:50:04 – Sailors left to die

00:55:31 – Sailor life and food

00:57:23 – Starlink drinking and smoking

00:59:44 – Why he became a sailor

01:01:01 – Most beautiful ports visited

01:03:13 – Cruise ships explained

01:05:31 – Bulk car and cattle carriers

01:08:04 – Freak waves and naval architects

01:11:53 – Friendships and stability at sea

01:14:00 – Learning cultures at sea

01:19:24 – Whats next and Japan

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Vinamre Kasanaa is a writer at heart, podcaster and entrepreneur by craft.

He spends a significant part of his time reading and researching.

With over 500 podcasts under his belt, he’s interviewed