He developed the idea of the Flying Dutchman while sailing from Riga to London
The opera featured 
a Sea Captain who is doomed for his blasphemy to sail forever, and... [DOC] [TLE] Program Notes::Miller Conducts Debussy  Victoria Symphony ... [PAR] ... for The Flying Dutchman during a truly horrible sea voyage from Riga to 
London ... and told each other stories about the Flying Dutchman, cursed to sail 
through ... Britten soon discovered that he could extract the four evocations of the 
sea to... [DOC] [TLE] Norway - Det norske Wagnerselskap [PAR] Aug 19, 2005 ... and the inspiration he got there to his great opera ... behalf of the The Flying 
Dutchman Asso- ... for many a sailing-ship.