THE SARCASTIC MARINER
The Sarcastic Mariner was founded by Captain Hittesh Gupta, Captain Gaurav Khanna and Richa Bajaj — two maritime industry veterans and a storyteller who between them have seen the full lifecycle of maritime operations, from standing watch on tankers to investigating why things went wrong ashore, and finding the words to make it matter.
Capt. Hittesh Gupta — Founder & Visionary
Hittesh is the mind behind The Sarcastic Mariner. A Maritime Industry veteran with decades of experience across sea and shore — from engine rooms and bridge watches to the aftermath of maritime casualties — he sets the direction, scope and voice of everything published here.
He created The Sarcastic Mariner because he noticed a gap. Incident reports capture the what. Loss prevention bulletins assign the why. But nobody was writing about the what it cost — the Second Officer who still flinches at loud noises three years after the explosion, the Chief Engineer who replays thirty seconds in his mind every night, the family waiting for a phone call that never comes.
That gap is where this site works. The Measurable Horizon series, the Situation Room, The Human Factor — all of it begins with Hittesh deciding what the industry needs to hear but hasn’t quite found the words for yet. Then he hands it to Richa & Capt. Gaurav.
“The sea asks a great deal. The least we can do is think very carefully about what we ask of the people who answer.”
Richa Bajaj — Lead Writer & Co-Creator
Richa has been involved from day one — and The Sarcastic Mariner would not sound the way it does without her.
With a Master’s in Media & Production, a Bachelor of Education, and a BA (Hons) in English, she brings a rare combination of storytelling instinct, editorial rigour and genuine empathy to every piece published here. Her background spans IELTS training, English education, PR and marketing — all of which taught her the same thing: that how you say something matters as much as what you say.
As Captain Hittesh’s wife, she has sailed across multiple voyages — experiences that gave her a firsthand understanding of what life at sea actually costs, not as an observer but as someone who has felt the distance, the silence, and the particular weight of waiting.
She is also the founder of The Pickle Tickle by RB — a creative, comfort-driven food brand built on premium ingredients, handmade processes and the belief that quality and authenticity speak louder than marketing. The same philosophy applies to everything she writes here.
Hittesh decides the direction. Richa & Capt. Gaurav finds the words. Between them, the gap gets named.
Capt. Gaurav Khanna — Writer, CO-CREATOR & The Person Who Keeps The Lights On
Gaurav is a Master Mariner with experience across tankers and offshore operations — from junior officer to command, and from sea to shore. He co-writes posts in consultation with Hittesh, manages the website, handles the SEO and makes sure the words reach the people they’re written for.
If the site loads fast, ranks well and doesn’t fall over — that’s Gaurav.
Follow the full conversation on LinkedIn →
Have something to say about the gap between what the system expects and what actually happens? Email us at info@thesarcasticmariner.com — we reply to every message.
Our Collaborators
The Sarcastic Mariner works with a small network of maritime professionals who bring specialist perspectives to the conversations we have here. These are not staff — they are practitioners who contribute because they believe the industry needs to talk more honestly about what it costs.
MUTHU Jagannath — Collaborator
Jagan brings the legal and claims perspective — the view from inside the claim, after the incident report is filed and the question becomes who pays and why.
A Singapore-based arbitrator, mediator and claims adjuster, he is Director of NAU Pte Ltd and holds a Master of Laws in Maritime Law from the University of London. He has lectured on The Shipping Business at Singapore Management University for over nineteen years and is a Tutor at the Singapore Branch of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.
He contributes to The Sarcastic Mariner because the legal and claims side of maritime incidents is where the human cost gets converted into numbers — and something important gets lost in that translation.
Jagan is on LinkedIn → — or if you have a problem that floats, sinks, burns or grounds, his firm NAU Pte Ltd → is probably already familiar with it.
The Unsung Heroes
Not everyone who contributes to The Sarcastic Mariner can put their name to it.
Some are still at sea. Some work in organisations where speaking openly carries professional risk. Some simply prefer that the story matters more than the byline.
Behind the posts published here is a quiet network of active Sailing Masters, Chief Engineers, Claims Handlers and Vessel Superintendents — people who share their experiences, correct our assumptions, challenge our conclusions, and occasionally tell us when we’ve got it wrong.
They do this without credit, without recognition, and without compromise.
This is your voice being reflected through The Sarcastic Mariner. We see you — because we have been you.