Crossing an Ocean Under Power Paperback – January 12, 2005

As a fan of Beebe's "Voyaging Under Power" and a jealous admirer of the Nordhavn 62 expedition style trawler yacht, I read with interest about the 2004 transatlantic convoy sponsored by Pacific Asian Enterprises, builder of the Nordhavn line of high seas and offshore trawler yachts. I don't own a Nordhavn 62 (I wish) and my seafaring is limited to adolescent adventures in my small sailing skiff and the occasional offshore fishing trip, venturing out not much past 20 miles from the shore. I had followed the adventures of the Nordhavn sponsored 18-boat convoy on the Trawler Transat website where I read Ken Williams' fascinating emails of his experiences on the Sans Souci, his Nordhavn 62 in the "fast boat" portion of the expedition. This book is NOT a further revision of Jim Leishman's (Nordhavn CEO)1993 update of Beebe's 1975 "bible" for power boat circumnavigators.It is not an edited digest of his informative emails, but rather a compilation of them. This said, they are quite useful in that Williams is not an experienced offshore navigator, but admits that prior to this venture, his trips have been limited to sight-of-land excursions offshore, never exceeding 8 hours. They upgraded to the N62 simply because they wanted an eminently seaworthy vessel capable of handling whatever rough seas they might encounter in their short hops. So the book is written in an accessible style, from the vantage point of a retired software designer who needed a lot of hand-holding on this bold adventure. The group of 18 were, as the origin might indicate, largely made up of Nordhavns, though it was not limited to craft from that builder.Notwithstanding the journal format, the book contains a lot of information on how to prepare, provision, and maintain a power boat on a long-diatance cruise spanning open ocean. There are some overview or stock-taking synopses as well as other viewpoints, such as that of the chef and Ken Williams' wife Roberta.All in all, an informative, entertaining and salty tale and agood one or two evening's read. The ample photos nicely complement the text.

Excellent compilation, and on my growing shelf of books on long-range power board cruising. I am a long-life offshore sailor, and U.S. Navy Captain who has spent 23 years so far driving ships. This book, and the latest version of "Voyaging Under Power" are included up-front in my growing list of books on long-range cruising on efficient power boats. A Nordhavn is in my retirement plans, and this book is a great "play-by-play" of an ocean crossing, from the perspective of a number of Nordhavn owners, one Kady-Krogen, and one 90-foot outlier that is beyond most folks budget or needs. This is NOT a how-to book, but provides a great perspective for people who are not experienced navigators and offshore yachtsmen. Doing group rallies for long voyages is a great way to expand skills with mentors close at hand. As this book proves, most of the participants continued long-range cruising because the NAR rally gave them the confidence and skills. I was particularly interested in the analysis of Naiad fin stabilizers, clearly deemed a statistical non-issue by subsequent correspondence with the company. Great book. Also check out the YouTube video of the same event, available in a documentary that was filmed during the same trip. Highly recommend the 10th anniversary edition, since the "ten years later" perspective from the Nordhavn execs as well as from the author and some other boaters is particularly enlightening. Great read!

Had read about his adventures, slightly mentioned, in articles in Passagemaker Magazine. In fact, the test of his new boat, the 68 foot San Souchi referenced these books, I believe, so i pourchased them. This is an enjoyable read but I would have liked to read more about the boats and what was happening on them on a day to day basis.If these books are glanced over you would think that driving your own boat across the Atlantic Ocean is just like taking off in your Buick. No worries. While I think that today's Nordhavens are reliable there are issues hinted at that are probably very small but when you are reading a book about crossing an ocean they are of interest. The computer blather is of no interest. Int he second book the captain he hired referred to the boat as a juke box, I believe. But, having all the technology is absolutely great the boat and the sea are the real things you want to read about.Great book and my hat is off to Mr. and Mrs Williams.

The author Ken, openly comments that this book was created 'out of demand' due to friends and family wanting to know how the rally was going...and what was happening! He did a great job capturing details and providing a genuine glimpse into what life would be like crossing ocean upon a Trawler Yacht with others. He did his best to please all those involved in the rally. There aren't that many books on trawlers crossing oceans or circumnavigating. This one is a good sampler to learn what it takes - lots of money, patience, knowledge and ... confidence!

Ken WilliamsGives you a realistic look at the cruising life. He is funny, smart and truthful. He gives you lots of information on problem solving on board and what the actual experience of cruising with a full team is like and what he did that helped them have a more comfortable cruise. He and his wife Roberta along with their dog Shelby keep you laughing and learning all the way through. Ken and Roberta are a great example of a cruising couple working together and I would suggest this book to anyone who wants to know what it is like to be underway for more than a 3 day run.

I have been following Ken Williams on his blog for a while and decided to go back in time and read his story of the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally. Ken's open and candid account of the preparation and voyage were fascinating - I couldn't put the book down. As well has having lots of facts for those considering crossing an ocean in a motorboat, the book also provides some insight into the effect of the voyage on the people involved. Highly recommended.

A good insight to power yachts ocean travel