Author(s): Josie Dew

Travel Writing

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 whilst 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 . . . ?!