A 61-year-old Swedish fisherman who spent three weeks adrift in the Baltic Sea with almost no food or water has been rescued by Latvia's coast guard. Edstroem began a fishing trip in the Stockholm archipelago in early September with only a few potatoes and green beans on board and some dog food he happened to have stowed away.

When he arrived at a good fishing spot, he cast anchor and settled in for the night. But when he awoke, his six-metre gig was adrift at sea and he had no idea where he was. "I don't how to navigate. I usually ask other boats where they're heading and if I'm going their way I follow their course,"

The timing of this news was of particular interest to me. After yesterdays post moaning about my present work situation it came as a timely reminder of how things were this time last year. With my very modest savings running out and delivering junk mail my only source of income I faced the prospect of going to sea on a Norwegian commercial fishing boat. It was very much towards the bottom of jobs I would ever like to do, but the money for being at sea would have set us up for the rest of the year.

It was a route that a crazy Aussie we knew took and he came back with stories that turned this land lover a little green. The pay is good for a reason; it has to be to get anyone out there. Working long shifts each day in rough seas, then to be kept awake by a constant banging noise wouldn’t be my idea of fun. Even less so when you realise the repetitive boom boom boom is your head being knocked against the wall. Things may be far for ideal at the moment, but they could be a lot worse.

Despite his ordeal, Roger Edstroem is already planning to go fishing again in November. Perhaps he developed a taste for dog food, myself I am staying on dry land.