A Speck on the Sea 
Subtitle: Epic Voyages in the Most Improbable Vessels
Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
Published: July 1, 2003
Language: eng
Number of pages: 375
ISBN-13: 9780071413060
First sentence: IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHO MADE THE FIRST GREAT LONG journey in a small boat.
Description: Throughout history, the bold, the desperate, and the foolhardy have dared the wide oceans in the tiniest of boats The unique and wonderful A Speck on the Sea looks back half a millennium to chronicle the greatest ocean voyages attempted in the littlest boats--rowboats, canoes, tiny sailboats, even a pair of wooden floats strapped to one adventurer's feet. Driven by desperation, a spirit of adventure, or irrepressible exuberance, these amazing feats include: * Diego Mendez's voyage to rescue Columbus * William Okeley's 1639 escape from slavery in a folding rowboat * Hugo Vihlen's 1968 ocean crossing in the six-foot sailboat April Fool * Ernest Shackleton and William Bligh's death-cheating journeys * The tragic story of Peter Bird's attempt to row across the Pacific * And many more Never have sailors dared the sea in frailer boats. This fascinating history will appeal to sailors and landlubbers alike.