THE SHIP FOR ME LIKE A VILLAGE, VERY SMALL VILLAGE.

EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT THE OTHER, YOU KNOW.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU DON'T KNOW THE OTHER.

IT MAY BE A SMALL VILLAGE BUT IT'S NOT A CLOSE COMMUNITY.

THE ABLE-BODIED SEAMEN CAN'T MIX WITH OFFICERS.

THEY EAT APART AND LIVE ON DECKS CLOSEST TO THE CARGO, WHILE THE HIGHEST CABINS IN WHAT'S CALLED THE CASTLE GO TO THOSE OF HIGHEST RANK.

SOCIAL POSITIONS NOW FURTHER, OFFICERS FROM THE ENGINE DEPARTMENT HAVE LITTLE CONTACT WITH DECK OFFICERS.

WE'RE FEELING OUR WAY THROUGH A THICK IT OF RULES.

T-FOR ME IT'S ALSO HARD TO WALK BETWEEN THE LINES SOMETIMES BUT STILL YOU HAVE TO, AND YOU LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT.

THAT'S WHY EVERYBODY STAY ON HIS DECK, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW?

THERE'S NOBODY FROM BELOW IS GOING TO SEARCH SOME FRIENDS, THE GUYS FROM THE BRIDGE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND CERTAIN PEOPLE, THEY DON'T WANT THAT, EITHER.

SO EVERYBODY'S STAYS HOME.

>> BE SEPARATED FROM THE OFFICER BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS TO GO ON.

IF THERE IS NO DISCIPLINE ON A SHIP, IT CAN'T GO ON.

THE SAME ON SHORE.

YOU HAVE THE WORKER AND YOU HAVE THE BOSS.

>> THE STRUCTURE IS RIGID AND FOREIGN TO US.

IT TAKES WEEKS TO UNDERSTAND, TO SEE THAT WITHOUT DIVISIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE, COMMANDS CAN'T BE GIVEN.

AND EVEN SO, DESPITE THE DISTANCE IMPOSED BY HIERARCHY, REAL PRIVACY ON BOARD IS HARD TO FIND.

SPEAKING FRENCH >> THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIVING, REAL LIVING ON A SHIP AND LIVING OFFSHORE IS THAT YOU'RE LIVING WITH THOSE 22 OTHER PEOPLE DAY AND NIGHT AND YOU HAVE TO SHARE A LOT WITH THEM.

YOU KNOW THEY ARE THERE AND YOU FEEL THEM, ALL AROUND YOU.

AND THERE'S NO, NO REAL ESCAPE HERE.

INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS >> APRIL 29th, THE LAST LOCKS OF THE St.

LAWRENCE RIVER.

IN HER BATTLE TO ACHIEVE SEA LEVEL, THE MASS HAS BEEN LOWERED THE HEIGHT OF A 60-STORY BUILDING.

>> MID SHIP.

INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS >> 10 DAYS OUT OF DULUTH, WE FEEL CAGED BY THE SLOW MOVEMENT AND SMALL SPACE OF THE SHIP, AND THEN, THROUGH THE WINDOW APPEARS A PIECE OF THE WORLD, MONTREAL, THE LARGEST FRENCH-SPEAKING CITY AFTER PARIS, HOME OF THE EXPO AND BIG BOWLS OF CAFE AU LAIT.

BUT THAT MONTREAL BELONGS TO OTHER TRAVELERS.

SHIPS VISIT A DIFFERENT PART OF TOWN.

OURS MUST LOAD CONTAINER CARGO PLUS 1,000 TONS OF WATER AND FUEL IN PREPARATION FOR THE CROSSING, AND AS FAR AS WE'RE CONCERNED, THE QUICKER THE BETTER.

>> LET GO.

BUT IT SEEMS IN THE RHYTHM OF THE SHIP, JUST WHEN IT'S GETTING SOME PLACE, IT STOPS.

IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO COUNT ON ANYTHING.

SEAMEN LIVE IN A PECULIAR SUSPENSION, NEVER SURE HOW LONG THEY'LL BE ON BOARD, WHEN THEY'LL ARRIVE OR IF THEY'LL ANCHOR FOR A DAY BEFORE BEGINNING TO LOAD.

LOAD.

LOAD.

LOAD.

TRUCK SOUNDS MORE THAN THE MEN STRUGGLING TO LOAD 8 TONS OF CONTAINERS, THERE'S ECONOMICS AT WORK HERE.

AT THE MENTION OF BALANCE OF TRADE, PEOPLE MAY BEGIN TO YOU YAWN AND WONDER WHAT IT MEANS WHEN YOU SAY THE DOLLAR IS STRONG.

BUT THESE MEN UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY.

IT MEANS THE CONTAINER WEIGH A LOT LESS THAN THEY SHOULD.

A STRONG DOLLAR MEANS MORE GOODS COME IN TO THE U.S.

THAN GO OUT, SO THESE CONTAINERS RETURN EMPTY.

>> THE LOOK OF THE SHIP HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED AFTER TWO DAYS OF LOADING.

LEAVING MONTREAL, ONLY A FEW MILES OF RIVER REMAIN BEFORE THE SEA.

REMAIN BEFORE THE SEA.

>> ABOUT 150-- BETWEEN BELGIUM AND ABOUT 15 OF THOSE ARE WOMEN.

IT'S WORK THAT A WOMAN CAN DO.

FIRST YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT YOU CAN DO YOUR WORK BECAUSE IT'S MAN'S WORK ON A SHIP.

I'M THE FIRST ONE WHO KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE SHIP BUT I CAN'T SHARE ALL THOSE NEWS WITH OTHER PEOPLE BECAUSE IT'S SECRET COMMUNICATION.

AND SOMETIME YOU HAVE PEOPLE ASKING YOU WHAT'S HAPPENING, IF WE ARE GOING TO EUROPE AGAIN OR NOT, BUT I CAN'T SAY WHAT'S HAPPENING.

I HAVE TO SAY I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE TIME.

>> WHEN WE WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE SHIP, USUALLY WE GO TO THE GALLEY AND THEY KNOW EVERYTHING, EVEN BEFORE THE CAPTAIN KNOW IT, GALLEY KNOW EVERYTHING.

GALLEY KNOW EVERYTHING.

>> EVERY DEPARTMENT IS SEPARATED BECAUSE THE OFFICERS, THEY STICK TOGETHER SO THE ENGINEERS, THEY STICK TOGETHER, BUT OUR DEPARTMENT, EVERYBODY CAN SPEAK ABOUT FOOD AND FOR THE GUYS ABOARD THE SHIP, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE KITCHEN BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE HAVE ABOARD THE SHIP.

SO WE ARE IN TOUCH WITH EVERYBODY AND IN CERTAIN WAY, EVERYBODY HAD TO BE A GOOD FRIEND OF US BECAUSE, OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, WE CAN DO A LOT FOR PEOPLE.

HOW YOU LIKE YOUR STEAK -- HOW MUST I SAY -- MEDIUM, ON THE RARE SIDE, EH?

SO WHEN YOU HAD A FIGHT WITH ME, IT'S RARE, MEDIUM ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

SO THAT'S -- WE ARE IN A STRONG POSITION ABOARD THE SHIP.

MAY 4th, THE RIVER OPENS INTO THE GULF OF St.

LAWRENCE AND THE LANDSCAPE GROWS BLEAKER.

PLANE ENGINES >> THIS MORNING, THE LAST PILOT DEPARTED.

WITH ALL TIES TO THE SEA WAY GONE, THERE IS A SENSE ON BOARD NOW OF DIGGING IN FOR THE WIDER WATERS OF THE OCEAN.

WATERS OF THE OCEAN.

WATERS OF THE OCEAN.

>> OUR LAST SIGHT OF AMERICA IS IN QUEBEC PROVINCE, IT LOOKS DESOLATE BUT THROUGH BINOCULARS, LITTLE HOUSES AND CHURCHES APPEAR BUT THEY'RE OF NO INTEREST TO US BECAUSE FINALLY WE'RE HEADED TO THE OPEN SEA.

THE OPEN SEA.

THE OPEN SEA.

THE OPEN SEA.

THE OPEN SEA.

SUNSET AND SUNRISE ARE ALWAYS IN MY -- I HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO LOOK AT THEM AND TO OBSERVE THEM.

I CAN'T MISS THEM ANYMORE.

WHEN I DID MISS ONE, I HAD A FEELING OF MISSING SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED.

SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED.

SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED.

SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED.

THERE WAS SOME SUNRISE, I NEARLY REMEMBER, YOU COULD HEAR THEM, YOU COULD SMELL THEM.

IT'S REALLY SOMETHING.

IT'S NOT JUST THE SUN COMING A LITTLE BIT HIGHER ON THE HORIZON BECAUSE THE EARTH IS TURNING AROUND HER AXIS AND THE SUN IS STANDING THERE FIXED.

IT'S MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

I'M SURELY NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO'S GOT THAT FEELING.

I SEE THE FIRST MATE WHEN WE KNOW THE SUN IS COMING UP AND I SEE HIM ALSO, SAILING FOR YEARS NOW, WATCHING AND WAITING, LOOKING FOR IT.

AND THEN NEARLY THE SAME TIME, WE SAY, THERE SHE IS.

MAY 8th.

WE CLEARED CAPE RACE, THE EASTERLY TIP OF NEWFOUNDLAND TWO DAYS AGO, WE'RE CROSSING THE OCEAN.

THE AIR IS MOIST, SOFT AND THE WATER TEMPERATURE HAS RISEN.

WE'VE ENTERED THE GULF STREAM WHICH WE'LL RIDE ALL THE WAY TO THE ENGLISH CHANNEL.

WE'VE LEFT BEHIND A ONCE WILD RIVER THAT WAS COMPLETELY CHANGED SO SHIPPING COULD THRIVE AND WE'VE COME TO A PLACE WHICH LOOKS JUST AS IT DID IN COLUMBUS'S TIME.

MELVILLE CALLED THIS THE WIDE BLANK OF SEA.

SHIPS DON'T MAKE A DENT