Kreuz und Quer, Zweiter Band Neue gesammelte Erzählungen

A weather‑worn American brig, the Martha’s‑vine‑yard, leaves New York with a thin crew and a thin purse, hoping to catch the massive wallfish that roam the southern seas. Its owner has renamed the battered vessel after a distant island, betting that a single successful voyage will pay the debts. The sailors soon learn the ship is as stubborn as the winds, slipping backward whenever they try to make progress. Under a determined captain, they set out into an uncertain hunt that may take years before any fish appears.

Drifting northward toward the Falklands, the crew battles fickle breezes and sudden squalls, their hunger growing with each day at sea. Yet stories of distant ports and the promise of a single great catch keep morale afloat. Listeners will feel the creak of timber, the salty spray, and the tense anticipation that greets every sunrise on the endless ocean.