One Inch above the Water

Jim Payne follows the waterways of America, living a Tom Sawyer life in his 12-foot kayak, getting scared, soaked, and bailed out of trouble by Samaritans he discovers along the way. His escapades span the country, fro the Hudson River to the Columbia, from the Mississippi to the Erie Canal.
As Payne's adventures unfold, you never know what's around the next bend He's entrapped by security guards at Mount Vernon, loses his rudder off the Florida Keys, and sleeps in Franklin Roosevelt's bed. Across 1,6000 miles, this middle-aged runaway often loses his sense of direction, but never his sense of humor.