The Water-witch: Or, the Skimmer of the Seas

In what may be a first among maritime action-adventure novels, the vessels at the center of this fast-paced tale from James Fenimore Cooper spend virtually the entirety of the story in harbor off the coast of New York. When a band of rowdy pirates abduct an heiress, her beau gives chase in a thrilling standoff. But when national tensions intervene, the story takes an unexpected turn.