LITERATURE is packed with tales of epic voyages where man pits his all against the elements and emerges the victor at the end of his quest. Think Homer, think Jules Verne, think ... Jamie Owen!

Pembrokeshire-born broadcaster Jamie, best known for reading the news, rather than making it, undertook his epic voyage last summer and the results are a tri-media production available soon on a TV, radio or coffee table near you.

Jamie has followed up the success of his Islands TV series and accompanying book with a different kind of sea journey - this time he travelled from Cardiff to Conway in a Victorian pilot cutter, the Mascotte, visiting the principal harbours of the principality.

But for a Pembroke Dock boy, the harbours of Pembrokeshire are obviously dearest to his heart, and feature most in the BBC Wales TV series Magic Harbours, which begins next Tuesday on BBC2W at 7.30pm. and in the accompanying book.

The book, written as Jamie's personal diary aboard the Mascotte has another strong Pembrokeshire connection.

The stunning photographs of the county's coastline at its best, were all taken by Pembroke-Dock photographer, and former Western Telegraph lensman Martin Cavaney, in a unique collaboration between two of 'The Dock's' best-known sons.

As well as the television series, which runs for six weeks, and is being billed as BBC Wales' flagship programme for the autumn season, Jamie also features his journey in a Radio Wales programme focussing on immigration into the harbours of Wales.

He was accompanied on board by a two-man TV crew plus a radio crew, together with the Bristol Channel pilot cutter's owner, Tony Winter, and the boat's crew.

Jamie confesses to being a fairweather sailor - preferring the seas - and the weather - around the Greek Islands, but much of the charm of the book lies in his personal stories and memories of family trips to Tenby with his maternal grandparents who lived in Saundersfoot.

But far from being just a pretty visual picture of the Welsh coastline Magic Harbours is the story, not only of a voyage around the country, but also of the lives of the people who live and work on the harbours of Wales.

Jamie, who owns production company Aspect, believes that the programme will also open up Wales not only to the world - but to the Welsh.

"I'm up on my soapbox here," he said, "but we live in such a beautiful part of the world, and yet we don't market it enough, not even to ourselves."

Magic Harbours is published by Gomer Press and retails at £14.99. More details are on the website www.gomer.co.uk.

Watch out in forthcoming editions for your chance to win a signed copy of Magic Harbours with the Western Telegraph.