BOATS

SAILING EUROPE IN A MIRROR DINGHY!

Truly hilarious books are rare. Even rarer are those based on real events. Join A.J. Mackinnon, your charming and eccentric guide, on an amazing voyage in a boat called Jack de Crow.

A couple of quiet weeks’ on the river Severn was the intention. ‘Somehow things got our of hand,’ writes A J Mackinnon. ‘A year later I had reached Romania and was still going.’

Equipped with his cheerful optimism and a pith helmet, this Australian Odysseus in a dinghy travels from the borders of North Wales to the Black Sea – 4,900 kilometres over salt and fresh water, under sail, at the oars, or at the end of a tow-rope – through twelve countries, 282 locks and numerous trials and adventures, including an encounter with Balkan pirates.

Along the way he experiences the kindness of strangers, gets very lost, and perfects the art of slow travel.

‘This is a wonderful idea for a book – a series of ever bolder improvisations in the face of adversity, undertaken in praise of the spirit of adventure.’ – Times Literary Supplement

‘He must be considered the ‘Captain Slocum’ of the inland waterways of Europe. If you want a good read, go and buy this book.’ – Royal Naval Sailing Association Journal

vi, 351 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.  #050622/070922/050923  Mackinnon, A. J. (Alexander James), 1963- — Travel.  |  Jack de Crow (Dinghy)  |  Sailing — English Channel.  |  Sailing — Europe.  |  Sailing — Black Sea.  |  Voyages and travels.