About this book:

"Salt and Silver" chronicles the arduous maritime trading journey of the cog *Marianne*, commanded by Captain Rolf Sigurdsson, and meticulously accounted for by Willem Alderman, a seasoned clerk for Alderman & Vree of Hull. The narrative details their perilous travels from Hull to Bruges with Aveiro salt, facing the unpredictable North Sea, contentious customs officials, and the shrewd negotiations with Hanseatic factors. A storm in the Strait of Dover damages the ship, forcing costly repairs in La Rochelle, deeply impacting their initial profits and highlighting the constant tension between meticulous accounting and the unpredictable fury of the sea.

The voyage takes an unexpected turn as they venture into the Mediterranean, bound for Aveiro to acquire more salt, and then east to Messina. Along the way, they navigate the treacherous Bay of Biscay, survive a violent corsair attack near the Strait of Gibraltar, and confront moral dilemmas with captured pirates. In Messina, Willem engages with influential brokers and a formidable widow, Signora Chiara Maris, who provides crucial market intelligence about the lucrative silver and silk trades. Here, they convert their salt into valuable silver and acquire Messinese silk, while uncovering a sophisticated forgery related to a mysterious debt owed by Captain Sigurdsson to a Bergen house.

The return journey is fraught with calculated risks. To avoid further corsair encounters, Rolf and Willem choose a longer eastern route through the Mediterranean, leading to an unplanned stop in Bergen, Rolf's hometown. There, Rolf's long-standing, undisclosed personal debts are fully revealed, putting a significant strain on the voyage's profitability. Willem, compelled by his commitment to honest accounting, facilitates a repayment schedule and an oath from Rolf, while securing a pre-sale for the silk. The transparency of the ledger, though it reveals financial shortfalls and tests the crew's trust, ultimately re-establishes their understanding of shared risk.

Upon returning to Hull, the full, complex accounting of the voyage is laid before Alderman Vree and his partner. Despite significant losses from storms, fire, and Rolf's hidden debts, Willem's meticulous records and unwavering integrity ensure that the true financial and human costs are understood. The *Marianne* is deemed seaworthy but stripped of her captain for future voyages, while Willem's steadfast adherence to the ledger's truth earns him respect, albeit at a high personal cost. The book concludes with the understanding that the ledger, while recording figures, also implicitly bears witness to the resilience, compromises, and enduring human element within the harsh realities of medieval maritime commerce.