Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow

“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… .
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.”– “Living Aboard”
“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”

A.J. Mackinnon was born in Australia in 1963 and travelled as a boy on P&O liners between Australia and England, developing a love of slow travel. He has worked in various schools around the world, sharing his passion for English Literature, mathematics, drama, art and philosophy with countless students over the years. He now lives in the Victorian High Country of Australia, where he continues to love his teaching, his garden and various other creative projects. He is the author of The Ongoing Odyssey of Jack de Crow, as well as The Well at the World’s End and Quaint Deeds.

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