ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses upon the sensual and corporeal experiences of seafarers. It argues that rather than being at a distance, seafarers are a part of the ocean, and are 'emplaced' within it. When seafarers sign up for their ship work, they actively agree to work in a constrained work environment with an unknown future, exposed to a possible 'watery grave'. The chapter explores how seascapes, through which seafarers move and in which they engage, are constituted by imaginaries, memories and, in turn, how seafarers contribute to the sea as a place with their own material, sensual and imaginary actions. The chapter draws on interviews mainly with seafarers from Kiribati and Tuvalu. It deals with multiple perspectives of the sea as a work environment, focusing particularly on the material and emotional interactions between the watery ocean environment, the accompanying sea and landscapes, and people dealing with the flow of within and in-between experiences.
