Gibbs makes a face is this a touch more thoughtful than he intended. "Rarely. It was - and is, I'd guess - a harsh and unforgiving master. Men like myself suffer in the face of fops and martinets. And get sent to die in pointless fights when other men give the orders. And men like the captain...his reward for showing mercy to the French was a stiff reprimand and loss of command. He of course resigned his commission, and word has it that he went to France to serve as a privateer.

"Whatever glory the navy offered, it lost its charms for me long ago. And it's clear that there are many routes to the sea."