I was born on September 20, 1738, in Kolberg and was given the baptismal name Joachim. My father, Johann David Nettelbeck, was a brewer and distiller here and was held in special affection and loyalty by the citizens. This fortune has been passed down to me from him, and I still enjoy it now, in my old age, among my dear fellow citizens. My mother came from the family of a shipmaster. Since I was hardly three-quarters of a year old, I was raised by my paternal grandparents; but as soon as I could babble, I was also determined to become a shipmaster. My inclination towards this was so strong that I carved little boats from every wood chip and every piece of bark that came into my hands, equipped them with sails made of feathers or paper, and played with them in gutters and ponds. This book is about seafaring.