Night watch

During the Atlantic crossing, British photographer Jamie Hawkesworth is among those on board. In the ship’s log, he reflects on how the quiet hours of the night watch bring back memories from his childhood.

For more than twenty years, his mother worked as a cleaner at his high school, starting her shifts at 6 a.m. As a teenager, Hawkesworth would often wake up around 4 a.m. to sit with her before she left. They would share a round of toast at the kitchen table, say goodbye, and he would head back to bed.

Those small, quiet moments stayed with him.

Now, out on the Atlantic, the night watch feels strikingly familiar. Between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., he stands with the crew at the helm as the ship moves steadily across the ocean beneath the stars.

“It feels a little like those mornings,” he writes. “Calm, peaceful, meaningful. The only thing missing is the damn toast — please get a toaster.”