Nostalgia and Loss

The book mourns the passing of the age of sailing ships, with Conrad reflecting on the disappearance of traditional seamanship, the romance of old vessels, and the irreplaceable intimacy with nature that modern technology erases.

Conrad speaks of the ships that are no more and the imperishable sea, evoking a sense of loss and fond remembrance.

The narrator mourns the passing of the age of sail and the intimate connection between sailor and ship.

The narrator's reflections on past landfalls and departed comrades evoke a deep sense of longing for lost times and people.

The reflection on Departure as a 'last professional recognition of the land' and the sentimental goodbye evokes a sense of nostalgia for the rituals of a bygone era of seamanship.