A couple of quiet weeks' sailing on the River Severn was the intention. 'Somehow things got out of hand,' writes A.J. Mackinnon. 'A year later I had reached Romania and was still going.'
Equipped with his cheerful optimism and a pith helmet, this Australian Odysseus in a dinghy takes you with him from the borders of North Wales to the Black Sea - 4,900 kilometres over salt and fresh water, under sail, at the oars, or at the end of a tow-rope - through twelve countries, 282 locks and numerous trials and adventures, including an encounter with Balkan pirates.
An epic voyage, undertaken with courage, and recounted with flair and humour.