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| Category: Travel |
(requires Adobe Reader)
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| About the Book | |
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Ocean Travels in a 52-foot Powerboat Powerboats have broken the mold! No longer restricted to coastal cruising, power boats can join the multitudes of sail boats plying the seven seas. Their larger fuel capacity and stabilization systems have added the dimensions necessary for them to travel far and wide. So as with sail boats, setting up a course and waypoints precede journeys to faraway places--dreams become destinations. TEKA III, a 52-foot passagemaker, is case in point. Built in 1981 by Knight & Carver in San Diego, her original owner set the scene with his log entries read by second owners, Denis and Mary Umstot. He and his crew crossed the Atlantic Ocean four times. This new boat offered the Umstots a chance to leave protected waters, and as they traveled, Mary described their adventures in over a dozen articles published by PasssageMaker Magazine over eleven years. Now Mary has written a book, Voyaging to the Mediterranean Under Power, describing her initial fears of ocean voyaging, and how she bonded with her special seaworthy vessel, finding the whole adventure very exciting. Their voyage of over 48,000 nautical miles included crossing oceans and notorious river bars, surviving gales on passage and at anchor, plowing through pyramidal waves or surfing down huge following seas, missing a collision with a large freighter, solving mechanical, steering, and electronic problems in quick order, and enduring several boardings and interrogations by foreign authorities. They also marveled at spectacular sunrises, magnificent sunsets, elusive green flashes, starry nights, wildlife, and interesting cultural experiences. Sharing time at sea with family and friends added an extra dimension. Mary has traveled extensively on land in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Africa. With TEKA III, the sea opened up a new avenue of travel. She writes about her explorations with humor and zest, both to educate and entertain the readers. These stories will appeal to both armchair adventurers and to those actually pursuing their own voyaging dreams, whether sail or power.
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| Reviews | |
Storms, mystery on the open sea, adventure in new ports--those are things that intrigue me. Umstot's book satisfied my passion for all the above, AND had me laughing at on-board antics on the high seas...This book is for true adventurers who actually plan to travel by sea to any destination, or for those who just love to read about it in their cushy chairs on land. Mary recorded her adventures and retells them in compelling style...whether battling problems with engines and steering or riding out mid-ocean storms...Mary's ability to share her adventures will convince readers that they are along for the ride. ...Mary relates the fears and joys of ocean voyaging, her reluctance to leave protected waters, and the rewards of taking the plunge. Reading this book was like being on a curious journey, a voyage right beside the author. So many points of interest and descriptive observations along the way made this a truly enjoyable read. What a rich and exciting introduction to the seas and ports around us, including the intricacies and how-to of moving from port to port, all told with a true appreciation of nature, other cultures, and the beauty of cruising. Mary takes the reader inside the Mediterranean cruising life, and the great many sea miles that passed under TEKA III's keel. As all cruisers know, it is not always smooth seas and calm weather, but the good and the bad eventually combine to put a rich patina over the cruising experience, and the author tells it like it is. If you dream far over the horizon, you'll find this a good read to wet your appetite for adventure. Mary is a marvelous storyteller; and the book is her journal of their adventures. The subtitle refers to ports and people, and there's a great emphasis on both--the various procedures followed in different ports, and the incredible array of like-minded wanders they met along the way. There are also pickpockets and pirates and peddlers and photographs. The tales are riveting...they range from the absurd--a hilarious story of the battle to evict a stowaway rat--to the shocking, their learning about terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, while anchored in the Balearic Islands.
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| About the Author | |
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Mary Umstot has traveled extensively by land throughout the world. On her boat, TEKA III, she answered the call of the sea for a new avenue of exploration. She lives with her husband in Seattle where they have enjoyed boating in Washington and British Columbia, Canada for over 25 years. |