Items related to The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow
Truly hilarious books are rare. Even rarer are those based on real events. Join AJ Mackinnon, your charming and eccentric guide, on an amazing voyage in a boat called Jack de Crow. 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.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author:
A.J. Mackinnon was born in Australia in 1963. He spent his childhood between England and Australia, traveling as a small boy with his family on the last P&O liners to sail between the two countries. His interests include painting, philosophy, writing, conjuring and home-made fireworks. He is currently a teacher at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar.
Review:
...[a] blend of high adventure, immeasureable charm and comedy... (Latitudes & Attitudes)
...a wonderful idea for a book--a series of ever bolder improvisations...undertaken in praise of the spirit of adventure. (Times Literary Supplement)
...one of the most original and entertaining books on sailing and voyaging to come out in years. (Sailing)
...the cavalier attitude, wit, and romanticism of this book are enough to capture the heart of any adventurer... (WaterCraft)
...will have you alternately laughing and shaking your head in disbelief at the brilliant insanity of the ill-defined quest. (Cruising World)
There are as many ways to live aboard as there are boats that float. Some sailors take a more Spartan approach. Mackinnon took this latter style to its perhaps illogical extreme, when he sailed a Mirror dinghy from Wales to the Black Sea. The Mirror is about 11 feet long, and is used primarily as a sail trainer by instructors who believe in giving students lots of strings to pull; it has a gunter mainsail, a tiny jib and a toy spinnaker. I can't imagine a less suitable vessel for a trip across Europe, but this voyage provided the material for a fascinating book. The author borrowed the little boat from the secondary school where he had been teaching, intent on a brief holiday before leaving England. But, seduced by his initial success in battling down small brooks and drainage ditches to the River Severn, he continued on, powered only by oars and that small mainsail, wearing his trademark pith helmet. His achievements encouraged him...and even his frequent disasters proved motivational once he figured out ways to overcome them. Eventually, he reached a port on the English Channel and discovered to his surprise that no one in a position of authority was inclined to forbid him from crossing. So away he went, and fortune preserved him despite a serious navigation error. Once across the Channel, it was clear sailing to the Black Sea. Over the course of this great adventure, he sailed or rowed through 12 countries and 282 locks. Readers may be inclined to dismiss Mackinnon as the sort of amusing, colorful, harmless eccentric famously produced by England, although the author is not English. But there's more to it than that. In his miniscule boat, Mackinnon was not only close to the water, he was close to the hearts of those who saw him rowing his way east, and he was taken in, repaired, fed, and generally treated with great affection by those he met on his voyage. Mackinnon has a pleasant outgoing personality, and he writes with the sort of stylish flair you might expect from a literature teacher. However, the smallness of his boat was probably the largest factor in attracting so much kindness from the strangers along his route. Sometimes he slept under a tarp on the damp floorboards, but more often he stayed with newfound friends. (Living Aboard)
"This amiable book is about what can, but probably should not, be attempted in a Mirror dinghy...The experience is by turns cheering and terrifying, but always met with humor and described with style...It's the sort of book people buy in quantities to give to their friends." (Classic Boat)
...a wonderful idea for a book--a series of ever bolder improvisations...undertaken in praise of the spirit of adventure. (Times Literary Supplement)
...one of the most original and entertaining books on sailing and voyaging to come out in years. (Sailing)
...the cavalier attitude, wit, and romanticism of this book are enough to capture the heart of any adventurer... (WaterCraft)
...will have you alternately laughing and shaking your head in disbelief at the brilliant insanity of the ill-defined quest. (Cruising World)
There are as many ways to live aboard as there are boats that float. Some sailors take a more Spartan approach. Mackinnon took this latter style to its perhaps illogical extreme, when he sailed a Mirror dinghy from Wales to the Black Sea. The Mirror is about 11 feet long, and is used primarily as a sail trainer by instructors who believe in giving students lots of strings to pull; it has a gunter mainsail, a tiny jib and a toy spinnaker. I can't imagine a less suitable vessel for a trip across Europe, but this voyage provided the material for a fascinating book. The author borrowed the little boat from the secondary school where he had been teaching, intent on a brief holiday before leaving England. But, seduced by his initial success in battling down small brooks and drainage ditches to the River Severn, he continued on, powered only by oars and that small mainsail, wearing his trademark pith helmet. His achievements encouraged him...and even his frequent disasters proved motivational once he figured out ways to overcome them. Eventually, he reached a port on the English Channel and discovered to his surprise that no one in a position of authority was inclined to forbid him from crossing. So away he went, and fortune preserved him despite a serious navigation error. Once across the Channel, it was clear sailing to the Black Sea. Over the course of this great adventure, he sailed or rowed through 12 countries and 282 locks. Readers may be inclined to dismiss Mackinnon as the sort of amusing, colorful, harmless eccentric famously produced by England, although the author is not English. But there's more to it than that. In his miniscule boat, Mackinnon was not only close to the water, he was close to the hearts of those who saw him rowing his way east, and he was taken in, repaired, fed, and generally treated with great affection by those he met on his voyage. Mackinnon has a pleasant outgoing personality, and he writes with the sort of stylish flair you might expect from a literature teacher. However, the smallness of his boat was probably the largest factor in attracting so much kindness from the strangers along his route. Sometimes he slept under a tarp on the damp floorboards, but more often he stayed with newfound friends. (Living Aboard)
"This amiable book is about what can, but probably should not, be attempted in a Mirror dinghy...The experience is by turns cheering and terrifying, but always met with humor and described with style...It's the sort of book people buy in quantities to give to their friends." (Classic Boat)
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherBlack Inc.
- Publication date2008
- ISBN 10 1863954252
- ISBN 13 9781863954259
- BindingPaperback
- Edition number2
- Number of pages368
- Rating
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Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow
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ISBN 10: 1863954252
ISBN 13: 9781863954259
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The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow
Published by
Black Inc.
(2008)
ISBN 10: 1863954252
ISBN 13: 9781863954259
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