THIS IS THE DIARY of a British sailboat's passage up the US Intracoastal Waterway, observing America's lifestyle, history and cultural paradoxes and written with gusto and empathy. It's a well-crafted book steeped in the euphoria of travel and ending with some sober thoughts on the demonic 9/11 attack on New York City. A fascinating insight into early North American history set against the backdrop of a boating adventure along the eastern seaboard from Florida to New York.

MOST PEOPLE EXPLORE North America from coast-to-coast. Others journey up the eastern seaboard's Intracoastal Waterway...