A Speck on the Sea : Epic Voyages in the Most Improbable Vessels

"From canoes and small sailboats to jury-rigged vessels of every description, and even a pair of strap-to-your-feet pontoons, the watercraft in these true stories make nearly as motley a collection as the mariners who piloted them. Meet the five escaped slaves who crossed the Mediterranean in a homemade folding rowboat; the lifeguard who paddled thirty miles through a killer storm in an inflatable rubber suit; and the mysterious two-man crew who crossed the Atlantic, east to west, in a converted lifeboat, bailing all the while." Whether driven by desperation, a spirit of adventure, or a desire for fame and fortune, all the risktakers whose stories are told here displayed uncommon courage, superior nautical skills, and remarkable poise under extreme and perilous conditions.