Sailing Alone Across the Atlantic : A Pensioner's Tale

Inspired by the true story of the remarkable voyage of 16 exiled men, women and children aboard a 70 year-old 36ft double ended wooden sloop, Erma, from Stockholm in the Baltic to Norfolk, Virginia in America, the author on his retirement set about sailing across the Atlantic single-handed.

This true story tells of two failed attempts and the things that went wrong before finally landing in Natal, Brazil after his third voyage, which began from Caernarfon in North Wales.

The first yacht lost its rudder in the middle of the Atlantic; the second was rolled over in a hurricane, breaking three of his ribs and arm; and the third yacht that actually made the crossing sank in ten minutes after being driven onto submerged rocks as a result of being struck by lightning which caused the mast to carry away off Devil's Island, French Guyana.