A story about the author growing up at sea, set against the ever present background of ships and the beauty of the oceans; a tale of ambition, adversity and dealing with prejudice. Ten years of adventure starting with two years on a Spartan training ship, and eight years travelling the world on ships, visiting far off lands, and meeting all manner of people, including eccentric distant relatives in Australia, a drunken captain, another who was a tyrant, and primitive natives in Fiji, plus shipboard romances, a mutiny, and a growing need for the author to change the way he lives.