Voyage Alone in the Yawl Rob Roy Author:John MacGregor This riveting tale of a 1,500-mile voyage on a 21-foot sailboat in 1867—from Limehouse to Dover, England, thence to Boulogne, France, up the Seine to Paris, and back again—was undertaken in response to a "Boat Exhibition" and regatta staged by Napoleon III to encourage the youth of France to explore the rivers and streams of their na... more »tive land. MacGregor, a flamboyant figure also known as Rob Roy, published this rapturous account of his seafaring adventures upon his return home, and it became known as "the book that launched a thousand ships," as legions of readers sought to emulate his example. Introduction.« less