Saddled at Sea

* A 15,000 mile journey to New Zealand by Russian freighter - a fascinating, funny and moving account which will delight all travellers who have ever wondered what it might be like to sail halfway round the world the hard way.

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What should have been a straightforward five-week journey, crossing two oceans, passing through the Panama canal and taking in the islands of the South Pacific en route, turns into an epic journey of rough seas, clashing personalities and crises in the ship's engine room. And when the Speybank receives an SOS from a yacht with a heart attack victim on board, it's all hands on board deck for a daring sea rescue. With various delays and detours, five weeks turns into six, then seven, then eight ...and while the other passengers are quietly going mad with frustration, Josie develops unusual strategies to cope with the hours of potentially endless tedium on board. As the journey progresses and the ship sails from the freezing seas of the north to the hot and steamy south, so the atmosphere on board approaches boiling point. Safety issues, personal disputes and unreasonable delays are top of the agenda for the passengers. Will they actually reach New Zealand before someone jumps ship, or is pushed ...?!