It is 1934. Billy Burton lives with his family in Fishersgate, Sussex, a seafaring port on the south coast of England. Folklore tells of a Ghost of the harbour - an honest mariner - who died a terrible death at the hands of eighteenth-century smugglers. One day, normal life is disrupted for Billy when he sees `The Ghost` rowing a small boat across the calm waters of the harbour. He finds his friends to tell them what he has seen. Soon they are in search of the Ghost of the Fishersgate Mariner. Navigating their rowing boat into a lock-gate compound they become trapped when the gates unexpectedly close behind them. The waters in the lock begin to drain away. Down and down they go in their little rowing boat. Somehow, Billy, his brother Terry, girlfriend Lily and their friend Nathan find themselves travelling back in time - more than two hundred years to 1734 - leaving his distraught mother and family behind in 1934. The time travellers become embroiled in a conflict between two nations, the Scorians and the Namidians. Each tribe is searching for the Second Chapter - an ancient record of superior technical knowledge. Such knowledge would give dominance to the tribe finding it. The words in the Technical book are locked by an unbreakable clasp and the text on the books cover is written in Latin. Will Billy's limited Latin studies be enough to allow him to understand how the clasp can be opened? And if it is opened, which one of the two tribes will get the secrets? Luckily for Billy, the Ghost of the Fishersgate Mariner - a most amenable and friendly super-natural being - is on his side, representing a much greater power in the universe. The power of Good. But there is danger all around them as they battle against the odds - resulting in a personal tragedy for Billy. This is a good old fashioned swashbuckling seafaring story that takes Billy and his friends first to North Africa and then on to Italy, where Billy finds true love in Taranto with the beautiful Catrina - a girl of African descent - but it is not love at first sight. Can Billy find the time-portal back to 1934 and if he can - will he take Catrina with him back to Fishersgate? Will any of them ever get back to Fishersgate 1934 - alive?