York 1990. It was at a St. Johns’ College Rowing Club meal at The Merchant Venturers’ Hall, that my imagination was fired. What was the Company of Merchant Venturers? They were merchants who went on voyages around northern Europe to buy and sell cargoes, bringing back to York these exotic goods – such as furs. A venture was a risk. They were taking risks. It’s where we get the term venture capital today. Someone puts this money at risk by investing in a new idea. Their coat of arms carries the motto “Dieu nous donne bonne aventure,” which I have since thought of as something one can live by, “God, give us good fortune”, or as I mistranslated it, “God, give us a good adventure!”
The idea of placing one’s savings and wealth into a voyage and setting off at the mercy of the elements seemed to be incredibly brave. Anyone going off to sea is very brave in my opinion. I wanted to write a story that reflected the unpredictability of the sea.