Down the Ottawa and up the St. Lawrence. The author of The Rideau and The Timiskawa Navigators shows us how to cruise these two waterways in a safe, enjoyable and seamanlike fashion. The ice may still be on the water when Doug starts us off with the planning and preparation phases. He has us studying the charts, laying off distances, figuring our time lines, making our lists and checking our gear. Then he takes along the rivers, telling of their histories, what to see and do and what to watch for. He describes the great ships plying the Seaway, and what they mean to us in our little craft and he does it all in his own unique style. Serious advice is lightened by his wry sense of humour.

Each chapter ends with a Rumrummer Tale, a story of those fascinating characters who freighted booze across the water every means, conceivable and otherwise.

Doug Gray's love affair with boats began in the womb. His parents owned a cottage which could only be reached by boat, and he was born less than a week after Labour Day. According to his Mother, on a rough day, he could have been born in the boat. During university, he and a couple of buddies took a year off to see the world, which he may tell us about when he is sure that all the statutes of limitations in several countries have run out.

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