'Salty Sam' Stephenson, Pamela's great, great grandfather, family legend has it was the owner and captain of the sailing ship ROSALIE who was abandoned by his crew in the 1820s and never heard of again. A chance encounter with the descendant of another crew member who had a different story to tell prompted Pamela to discover the fate of her ancestor. Delving in maritime archives she begins to piece together his background. From Rotherhithe she retraces his journeys along the old spice route and hires a sailing boat with a heavily armed crew to continue her search in pirate-infested waters. A tale of genealogy, mystery and adventure.