Setting out from his home in Seattle, sailing alone aboard a 35-foot ketch, Jonathan Raban made his way through Alaska's Inside Passage. This book is the story of that voyage, but it is more than just a travelogue. Raban delves into the past, trying to discover what draws men to the sea, and he ultimately learns a great deal about himself. A favorite writer, Raban (Bad Land, Coasting) is a British expatriate living in Seattle.  (ALA94, $15.95)