A lively seafaring adventure aboard a 147' yacht bound for Jamaica.
When Madison and Kurt heard about an all-expense 5 week cruise to Jamaica for $500, they had second thoughts. On the other hand, they were bored with thier mundane lives and thought an adventure just might be what they needed to spark things up.
They had no idea what they were getting into, but decided to give it a go. Two months later, on a tiny island in the Bahamas, their journey came to an end, and their lives were changed forever.
Follow the nearly 6,000 mile odysea they lived and discovered; from the coast of Baja California to the coast of Florida, and all the exotic places in-between. It's a fascinating tale of disovery, adventure, and romance.
Excerpt
“Well, let me tell you a story. My name is Walter Davis, my friends call me Walt, but lately they’ve taken to calling me Pops. I’m eighty-six years old. I’ve been living here in Panama since I was sixteen. I came here to help build the Canal in 1906; two years after the Americans took over the project from France. I helped build the Canal. Nearly lost my life twice in the process, but I made it; and after it was done, I had nowhere else to go. So here I am sitting at the same table I sit at nearly every night.”
He looked at the four again, apparently trying to ascertain whether they were listening or not. Satisfied that he had their attention, he continued.
“Feel free to interrupt. But if you want to hear it, I’m going to tell you nice folks the story of the building of the Panama Canal.”
Professional Reviews
Review by Ananya92
Five Weeks to Jamaica by Doug Oudin is a book in the fiction section. It traces the journey of the passengers from the coast of Mexico to Jamaica, aboard the cruise ship, Explorer.
Five weeks of non-stop fun and adventuring at the sea? Definitely yes! Kurt Decker, his girlfriend Madison, his brother Larry and their friend, Marcos, thought they were getting a good deal when they bought their passage aboard the luxury cruise ship bound for Jamaica, for five hundred dollars each. However, their vacation seemed doomed even before they set sail. Some of their fellow passengers opted out of the tour, when they saw that the ship definitely did not qualify as a ‘luxury’ cruise ship, along with some other issues. Despite their disappointment, Kurt and his group elect to go ahead with the tour. Thus begins their journey on the ‘ship of fools’, where the ship’s inhabitants slowly become a close group of friends, as they bond over their discomfort, troubles, romances, joy, and the breathtaking wonders of the ocean.
The book is written in third person, covering the individual stories of the passengers which are effortlessly intertwined with central theme of their tumultuous but exciting journey across the ocean. The author has penned down a story with rich and colorful descriptions, which leave a strong visual imprint on the reader’s mind. Such as this description of the sunset aboard the ship, “Ahead of the ship, the undulating surface of the sea absorbed the rainbow colors of the sky, turning the glistening surface into a surreal stratum of brilliance. Where the sea met the sky, colors danced about like the interior of a kaleidoscope.” The vivid detailing of the journey makes the story come alive for the readers, and gives a very realistic feel to the tale.
The author has sketched well-developed characters for the readers. The characters display the complex human emotions fairly well. The emotional turmoil faced by some of the characters and their ensuing troubled romances, are captured nicely by the author. There is an air of believability about the characters, especially how they slowly come to trust each other and overcome their inhibitions. The struggles of the group and their determination to enjoy the trip, despite the troubles, dangers and a few mishaps, have been portrayed very well by the author.
This book will appeal to all the readers who love the sea. It will also appeal to those readers who love travelling, if not the ocean (like me). I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars, for its believable characters and wondrous scenes.
Most Helpful Customer Review, Five Star
By robert murcott on May 20, 2015
Format: Paperback
I found Five weeks to Jamaica to be a great read! I was hooked just from reading the Preface. I have been a licensed Yacht Delivery Captain for almost thirty years and have been to many of the locations described in the book (very accurately by Doug Oudin). The whole premise of a group of people from many different walks of life, willing to take that leap of faith on a far from pristine yacht, with a questionable crew and ship on a dangerous and uncertain journey staggers the imagination! This cruise would be filled with possible problems and mishaps with the best of ships and crews and to venture out of the harbor on that ship was obviously going to be the start of a wild and uncertain ride. All aspects of this voyage was masterfully written by Doug Oudin. He brought all the characters to life and put you in the middle of this wild ride. I read the book in two days and cannot wait for his next one!
Review by Monica Murphy
Loves the story so much. It gave me an awesome look into the lives of those who love the sea, and spend their life on it. I thought the ending was poignant, and thought provoking. Thank you for sharing this adventure!
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