3 Review(s)

This book contains more than seventy accounts of big adventures in small boats. In "A Speck on the Sea", William Longyard reaches back through five centuries to gather a collection of sea adventures in which the smallest, unlikeliest craft - and the daring individuals aboard them - completed extraordinary voyages against great odds. From canoes and small sailboats to a pair of strap-to-your-feet pontoons, the watercraft in these true stories make nearly as varied a collection as the mariners who piloted them. The intrepid seafarers and their feats of seamanship include: Ed Gillet's kite-powered transpacific kayak voyage Gladys Gradely's 1902 quest to become the first woman to solo the Atlantic; Ben Lecomte's swim across an ocean for love; Hugo Vihlen's 1968 ocean crossing in the 6-foot sailboat, April Fool; Peter Bird's tragic attempt to row across the Pacific; and, scores more. Whether driven by desperation, adventure, or a desire for fame and fortune, the risktakers in these stories show what vast oceans can be crossed in tiny contrivances by those who dare. 'Great fun to read' - "Cruising World". 'Very few reference books make for such riveting reading' - "Good Old Boat".'Re-creates these awe-inspiring adventures in fascinating detail' - "NW Yachting". 'Seagoing heroes and scalawags come alive with rich detail in Longyard's volume of salty tales' - Judy Blumhorst, Commodore Emeritus, Northern California Association of West Wight Potter Owners and Webmaster, www.trailersailer.com. William H. Longyard has spent twenty-five years paddling, rowing, and sailing small boats of all kinds. He has published several books and written numerous articles for boating journals.