On a sea of whisky

Seaspray and Whisky: Tales of a Turbulent Voyage

The voyage recounted is a crossing from Liverpool to Houston via New York and New Orleans in 1961 on the MV Allenwell, one of those shabby ships known as a tramp steamer, carrying cargo for larger, more respectable companies.

A crew of quarrelsome eccentrics and a cargo of Scotch whisky provides a tale that is by turns hilarious and tragic. When the last consignment of whisky was deposited on the dockside in Texas, a whopping 80 cases — 960 bottles — of finest Vat 69 were missing.