The Northwest Passage proved so elusive for so long that many sailors & explorers believed it didn`t actually exist. A sea route connecting the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans through the Arctic archipelago, it wasn`t until Roald Amundsen`s 1903-06 voyage that the Northwest Passage`s existence was finally proved, but the transit is treacherous & entirely dependent upon the ice giving up its grip for sufficient time to allow vessels through. This is not a journey undertaken by average sailors in small boats. But David Scott Cowper, 74, is no ordinary sailor. There are seven possible routes through the Northwest Passage, & Cowper had sailed through four of them singlehanded. This is the account of the fifth & most northerly
- from ocean to ocean through the Mc Clure Strait
- & the sixth, the return voyage, both times accompanied by Jane Maufe as his crew. The account of the voyage is written by Jane & she captures Cowper`s steely determination, resourcefulness in the face of adversity & humility in the wake of great achievement. Theirs is an old-fashioned relationship, where each party expects to fulfil their stereotypical roles. But Jane is no push-over
- she can steer a watch, haul large diesel cans, & leap ashore slippery pontoons with heavy ropes like the best of them. As well as a captivating story of adventurous voyaging it provides a fascinating insight into the relationship between two serious & dedicated sailors, alone together in some of the most isolated & forbidding desolate wastes on earth. It is a relationship built on respect & high expectations, mutual ambition & also self-sacrifice; the book is a uniquely revealing & charming account.