In 1759, at the age of nineteen, Mary Lacy donned a pair of men's breeches, adopted the name of William Chandler, and went to sea. Her autobiography (first published in 1773) chronicles her sea-faring adventures and gives a fascinating insight into the hardships of ordinary sailors in the 18th-century Navy. For her these were compounded by having to pretend to be a man. She nonetheless earned a name as a strong and reliable worker and, back on dry land, became an accomplished ship builder. Destitution, betrayal and amorous encounters all play a part in this intriguing tale. A brief introduction by Margarette Lincoln, Deputy Director of the National Maritime Museum, provides the historical context for this remarkable account.