Scottish-born F.R. "Hamish" Berchem sailed in submarines with the Royal Navy before transferring to the Royal Canadian Navy. He was Commanding Officer, HMCS York, Toronto, from 1970 to 1973. He has honours and masters degrees in history and English from the University of Toronto and has taught high school at Don Mills and Bathurst Heights Collegiates in North York. He is a skilled painter in watercolour and has had several one-man shows. He is also the author of Ships in Bottles.