I read the whole thing, very good read even if he was Nazi, (which it didnt talk too much about) but the idea of being connected and caring about your men seems like the absolute right way to go as a Kaulen, the more they trust and respect you, the more efficient things would work. And the fact that he taught even basic seamen different things (navigation and such) or let them see different sights (whales, thunder storms, sinkings) only helps his cause, heck I bet if one of his officers went down (which I think there was part where a petty officer did and he did the same) he could almost confidently replace them with a Seaman.
