The Voyage of the Aegre

From Scotland to the South Seas in a Shetland Boat

The Voyage of The Aegre is a dramatic true account of how a plan to sail a little fishing boat from the Highlands of Scotland down the coast to England turned into a trans-oceanic odyssey for Nick and Julie Grainger. It was the 1970s and their simple wooden boat was equipped with none of the aids modern yachts enjoy. Navigation was by sextant and compass, food cooked on a Primus, and weather forecasting by guesswork. Diligent preparation before they set sail eventually saved their lives in the violent storms and dangers they encountered, vividly described in this absorbing narrative. Their capsize at night in a fierce storm south of Tahiti and subsequent survival makes a gripping climax to the story.

The owner of any small boat who plans to sail, one day, beyond the far horizon, must wonder what they would do if the GPS fails and they don’t have a sextant, or a mast. The answer lies in the story of the Voyage of The Aegre. A terrific adventure. – John Ridgway, 1966 North Atlantic rower, Round the World sailor, Adventurer, Author

Author : Nicholas Grainger

Paperback : pages 261

SKU: P9251

‘From a simpler age of sailing when you were led across oceans by the sun and the stars, this book deserves to join the classics. It is simply a top class read’ Paul Heiney – Royal Cruising Club

About the Author

Nicholas Grainger grew up near Cambridge, England. In 1971-2, he worked at the John Ridgway Adventure School in NW Scotland and later sailed across the Atlantic and much of the Pacific in a small Shetland boat. He subsequently worked in the recreation industry in New Zealand until moving into management roles and later into an academic teaching and coaching position in Australia. In 2003-4 he sailed around the world via Cape Horn on the Save the Albatross Voyage. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Tomoko. They have two daughters and two granddaughters.