A Speck on the Sea

In A Speck on the Sea, William Longyard reaches back through five centuries to gather a collection of sea adventures in which the smallest, unlikeliest craft–and the daring individuals aboard them who have completed extraordinary voyages against great odds.

From canoes and small sailboats to a pair of strap-to-your-feet pontoons, the watercraft in these true stories make nearly as varied a collection as the mariners who piloted them. The intrepid seafarers and their feats of seamanship include:
Ed Gillet’s kite-powered transpacific kayak voyage;
Gladys Gradely’s 1902 quest to become the first woman to solo the Atlantic;
Ben Lecomte’s swim across an ocean for love;
Hugo Vihlen’s 1968 ocean crossing in the 6-foot sailboat April Fool;
Peter Bird’s tragic attempt to row across the Pacific; and scores more

Whether driven by desperation, adventure, or a desire for fame and fortune, the risktakers in these stories show what vast oceans can be crossed in tiny contrivances by those who dare.

Author : William Longyard