This riveting tale of a 1500-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 native 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.