Sailing on worlds lowest water and highest water.

[spannerman]

I read a book some years ago about a guy with a small ketch or sloop who sailed down to the Med and got it transported overland to the Dead Sea so he could sail it on the worlds lowest body of water. Then sailed it over to S. America and was supposedly the first sailboat through the Panama Canal, he then turned left and sailed down the pacific coast and somewhere down there had it transported by train and truck uo to Lake Titicaca to sail on the worlds highest body of water. Then sailed down the Amazon when it was in flood back to the Atlantic. Lots of adventures and happenings, not sure if it was all true. I think the boat was called the Dart, ring any bells with anyone.

 

[Poignard]

Not absolutely sure about this but was it Tristan Jones "The Incredible Voyage"?

 

[Constance]

Wayward Sailor, a biog. of Jones, unravels the fact from the considerable fiction in Jones' writings. Makes the good point that he was clearly a good sailor and writer, so why did he feel the need to make so much up? The Incredible Voyage is a good read, the truth about Jones & Sea Dart is just as interesting as the embellished version he wrote.

 

[spannerman]

Thanks guys, thats the book I was looking for.

 

[Rabbie]

The sad part of this very good read was that when Jones got to the Dead Sea (with Sea Dart on a lorry) he was not permitted to launch her there. The Isreaeli army was too twitchy!. So he never really got to fulfil his ambition. The irony being that he put so much effort in getting the boat from Lake Titicaca to Israel only to be thwarted by a human conflict.

 

[Searush]

All of Tristan's books are worth a read, including Ice!, Yarns, The Improbable Voyage, Adrift, A Steady Trade, Saga of a Wayward Sailor, Heart of Oak, A Star to Steer Her By and Outward Leg.
It doesn't matter how much is true & how much yarn, they are massively entertaining and are a great encouragement to those facing difficulties, of any sort!