The use of backflashes, called "mugups," allows Greenlaw to describe other fishing trips, general life aboard the vessel, and other events that explain the life of a swordboat crew. The first of these describes Greenlaw's relationship to the other members of her family and events in her childhood that contributed to her decision to go to sea. She and her family lived on an island on the coast of Maine, giving her and her brother and sister access to woods and ocean.

Greenlaw developed a fascination for the sea, daydreaming about islands, fish, and ships. The mug-ups also describe other fishing trips, other crews, and events that aid in understanding life on the sea. Superstitions, medical conditions, and remedies six hundred miles from land, and childhood expeThe Hungry Ocean:A Swordboat Captain's Journey riences comprise these chapters, each set between chapters about the present trip.

These give a...