Product Description

In 1998 Sandy Mackinnon set off from his home in England in a Mirror dinghy on what was supposed to be a one-week jaunt down the Severn river, only to find himself, one year later, sailing out onto the Black Sea. Simply by rowing and sailing in an open dinghy less than eleven feet in length, he crossed the English Channel, cruised across three thousand miles of rivers, canals and open sea, and through eleven countries, including war-torn Yugoslavia at a time of crisis.

This book highlights his adventures during this unlikely journey, such as getting arrested by the River Police as he was being swept out on a night-tide under Westminster Bridge; meeting Michael Palin; being shipwrecked in a storm off the east coast of Britain; the solo crossing of the English Channel; being tear-gassed in the Budapest Metro; being trapped without funds in Serbia under threat of bombardment; he was even captured by Romanian river pirates in the Danube Delta.

All this, plus 60 finely drawn pictures and maps, result in a book with a blend of high adventure, immeasurable charm and comedy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #339383 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781574091526
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Library Journal
More nutty stunts come from the British Isles than from anywhere else on earth, and the escapade Australian-born Mackinnon recounts here is as addled as anyone's. One day, he stepped into a dinghy, intending to sail a few hundred miles down the Severn River, stopping at pubs and having a lark for a few days. He named his little craft Jack de Crow in honor of his childhood dream of owning a tame crow (not a cuckoo?). To make a short story even shorter, he passed up most of the pubs in England, almost got gored by a bull, sank Jack in a drunken stupor, patched the little boat back up, battled pirates, and landed in Romania. Loaded with self-deprecating humor and one giddy adventure after another, this fun account of Mackinnon's voyage is definitely for armchair travelers. as it is highly unlikely that anyone would be wacky enough to use this book as a guide to try a similar stunt. Highly recommended for all public libraries.
Joseph L. Carlson, Allan Hancock Coll., CA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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, December 2003

"...the cavalier attitude, wit, and romanticism of this book are enough to capture the heart of any adventurer..." -- Watercraft, March/April 2004

"...will have you alternately laughing and shaking your head in disbelief at the brilliant insanity of the ill-defined quest." -- Cruising World, November 2002

About the Author
Sandy Mackinnon was born in Australia where he continues to coach sailing to staff and students at the Geelong Grammer School.

Customer Reviews

A Classic is Born!
"Sandy" Mackinnon tells a tale of nautical adventure with a style that reads like a delightful mix of Jerome K. Jerome, Jean Shephard, and Monty Python. This books is so very English, though Mackinnon is Australian- it is told with love, warmth, wisdom, humanity, and with prose as crisp as Beaujolais and warm as old port. This is a very FUNNY book, but also life affirming without being pretentious. Once you start this book you will want to keep rowing through the pages as the author travels along the great rivers of Europe from Wales to Romania. This book is definitely a new classic, and ranks up there with The Saga of Cimba and Alone in the Caribbean as one of the three most evocative nautical travelogues ever written. A genuine treasure- and pleasure.

A crazy tale of Daring-do by an Australian Englishman!
Like the Author, once you start this journey it is difficult to stop. This book is very difficult to put down.

As you breeze along the waterways and across seas with Sandy you find yourself saying "No! You can't? You won't? You shouldn't..." then you turn the page and he can, he will and he has; your eyes open wide and you read fervently onwards.

After one crisis is over you are calmed back into the beautiful journey, bumbling along serenely and naively into the arms of the next demon waiting beyond the horizon.

Whilst many of the literary quotes went over my head I found this a fantastically written story of eccentric daring-do with laugh-out-loud moments of extreme hilarity.

A real, live "Lord Of The Rings" journey full of near-death experiences told as if they weren't and real life experiences told like it was.

You have to read this book.

Incidentally whilst not putting down this book at 1 am, high up in the Taipei Hilton the other week I found my hotel bed shaking with laughter, when I stopped, the bed didn't and the contents of the min-bar spilled out onto the floor. It was then that I realised the Earth was moving! That's never happened with any other book I've read.

Well done Mr. Mackinnon!

Mirror Dinghies will never be the same again!
A beautifully written book - but then you would expect that from an English teacher! Full of hilarious escapades, frightening experiences and gloriously colourful accounts of this unbelieveably exciting yet delightful journey! Should be on the bookshelf of every Mirror Dinghy owner, and the reading list of every school! With its broad appeal this book makes an excellent gift. I look forward to the author's next publication - which I have no doubt will be forthcoming in due course as a result of world demand!