The Voyage of The Aegre

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. A born storyteller, the author has produced a stirring tale that ranks among classic sea adventures.

It started with a sail on a soapbox cart, an uncle who dressed up as a monk, and sea stories in the back of a Mini. For Nick, it became a passion for sailing and led to the thrilling Aegre voyage to the Pacific. And later, in 2003-4, to sailing around the world via Cape Horn on the 57 ft ketch English Rose VI with adventurers John and Marie Christine Ridgway on the Save the Albatross Voyage. In between sailing, and another passion, bicycle racing, he applied lessons learnt from his time at sea to a corporate and later an academic career. He lives with his wife, Tomoko, in Melbourne, Australia. They have two daughters and two granddaughters who, he says, keep his feet firmly on the ground.