It's 1521 in northern Sumatra, part of the far flung empire of Portugal. Three of the King's Caravels sail on a mission to find and sink the ships of Portuguese traitor, Ferdinhand Magellan. Their secret destination, the fabled 'Isles of Gold', said to exist down in the deep south of the world. Along this coast Magellan may fast approach to plunder Portuguese waters. The traitor must be stopped or more Spanish invaders will follow, with sword and cannon to steal the rightful possessions of King Manoel of Portugal.
To find Magellan's ships they must cross the line, and so risk the vengeance of the Pope, the Spanish, and the loss of their own country's protection. The Vatican Line has divided the world in two, and for Portugal's ships to cross the Spanish oceans could bring total war and the ultimate destruction of their kingdom by a deadly enemy. Utmost secrecy is the Portuguese sailor's greatest defence.
But the centuries pass and no trace of this grand adventure survives, until one old man searches the lonely dunes. One old man seeks to discover the 'Mahogany Ship'. A wreck long buried in the sands between Warrnambool and Port Fairy in south eastern Australia. At the very bottom of the continent.
Some indefinable link to the past drives Jake onward despite his failing health. In his quest he is joined by a young archaeologist who shares his thirst to uncover the truth and courage of these sailors from another time.
Will the old man uncover the mystery which proves to be a vital part of another man's pledge? A man who lived five centuries before.
Cross the Vatican Line bridges the centuries between two great adventures.