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Ocean nomad book cover featuring a crew guide for hitchhikers crossing the Atlantic.

Ocean Nomad

The Complete Atlantic Sailing Crew Guide: How to Catch a Ride & Contribute to a Healthier Ocean.

This 400-page interactive Atlantic Sailing Crew guide is packed with inspiration and ‘how-to’s (and how not’s) on sailing the Atlantic ocean as crew. If you aspire to sail across the Atlantic, this is the resource to make it happen: happy, safe and meaningful. It is full of practical advice and stories, persuading and informing the traveller to go from the idea of “I would like to cross the Atlantic”, to sipping a coconut on the other side celebrating. Ocean Nomad provides:
– A comprehensive look at all aspects of crewing
Essential knowledge on routes, seasons, weather, costs, kind of boats, and destinations.
– How to find a boat (extensive review of all crew websites and marina's to find your luck, and tips on promoting yourself)
– Tips and Checklists on (eco-friendly) packing, assessing safety, captain and capability, and provisioning. 
– Interviews of 32 captains, 58 crew members who sailed the Atlantic Ocean for a wide perspective.
In addition to providing the ‘how-to’s of sailing across the Atlantic as crew, Ocean Nomad informs and raises awareness about the state of our ocean, including +75 actionable takeaways on how you can make a difference for a healthier ocean as sailors and anyone.

Hi! My name is Suzanne.

I hitched my first ride across the Atlantic as a complete newbie to the world of sailing. Since then, I’ve sailed across the Atlantic five times on strangers’ sailboats (3 at the time of publishing the book). In fact, I’ve explored almost every ocean on this planet with this alternative way of travel. Through these experiences, I’ve figured out how (and how not) to catch rides on other people’s boats. The adventures at sea have opened my eyes to the breathtaking beauty of nature and also to the daunting challenges our oceans are facing. My aim with book Ocean Nomad is to help adventure-seekers aspiring to sail across the atlantic ocean, experience the magic of high seas, broaden their horizons, and encourage positive change for our oceans.

What readers say

"As someone who has no boat, no budget, and no sailing experience, but loves to travel and have a good adventure, this book provided everything the author promises and more. While readers can use this as "guide book" to get a boat and plot an adventure crossing an ocean, it also gives readers an in-depth look at the deteriorating state of our oceans and ways both boaters and sailors and the "landlocked" citizens of earth to improve the quality of our waters.

Brian van Dongen

“A highly organized and helpful book with routes, ports, websites, and even some of the bars you should hang-out or go duckwalking to find your ride. Clear thinking and attention to details make Ocean Nomad useful to any captain or crew for an ocean passage. Her passion for conservation and sustainability offers insight into a ‘vagabond’ lifestyle that is also socially responsible.”

Yachting World

“It is part of my ship’s articles: I want every crew member to read it before they step on board! Not just because it is packed with tips for both captain and crew, but also because it gives a clear insight in the minds of hitch sailors. This is more than a ‘if-you-can-dream-it-you-can-do-it/-if-you-just-put-your-mind-to-it-it-will-happen”

Edwin ButterCaptain & Boat Owner

“I can only imagine the amount of time and energy put into gathering the information and writing this book. Full of great photos and heads up calls, plus tons of information for becoming an ocean nomad (or upping your game if you’re already one) … this book is an invaluable resource! It even has a chapter “What to tell mom?” if you’re worried that loved ones might not agree with your plans.
If you love adventure, make sure you pick up this great book: the author speaks from experience and you’d be tempted to make ocean splashes yourself! If you’re a conscious person, you’ll be touched by the current status of the ocean, and you’ll be eager to contribute in one way or another (plenty of suggestions inside). And if you’re a curious person, make sure you grab it because you’ll be surprised by what you’ll find inside … and even inspired!”

Chistila

Get the E-Book

Download the E-Book directly with the author for maximum author and ocean support.

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Get a Paper Copy

Amazon

Bol.com

Get the colour edition in a bookstore near you! Ocean Nomad is in the global book order system. If it’s not in your local bookstore ask them to make it part of their collection.
In Holland & Belgium via Betere Boeken and Bol.com (Black & White)
On Amazon (Kindle and Black & White print) but I encourage you to support the local book store or author rather than the giant.
Become a member of theOcean Nomads Communityand receive 30% discount on the E-book.
Feel good about buying this book! All proceeds go to more content creation for a healthier ocean.
Are you a retailer interested in selling Ocean Nomad? Via an Ipage account, you can order Ocean Nomad Colour Edition discounted in bulk.

+2800 copies sold!

Read more reviews

What readers say

“At almost 400 pages, Ocean Nomad contains actionable information for anyone involved (or interested) in hitch-sailing. More than a simple adventure story, or even a personal memoir of what the author did right and wrong when hitch-sailing (3 times!) across the Atlantic, the book is a comprehensive look at all aspects of hitch-sailing, with interviews of 32 captains and 58 sailors for a wide perspective. I recalled fondly the year my best friend and I took a sailing-ship cruise in the Caribbean, helping to raise or lower sail, sleeping on deck, our adventures on the many tiny islands we stopped at (described by the captain as “Christopher Columbus, 3rd voyage, sailed by, didn’t stop”), and being on watch when the bilge pump broke. This book is finding its way into the stockings of many friends and relatives for Christmas this year — the ocean activist who is passionate about corals, a former Navy man who loves books about boats, an armchair adventurer who loves travel, a nature lover who has already hiked the Camino Real, and of course my sailing buddy.”

Jennifer Dunne

“Suzanne is high spirited and has a wealth of knowledge about sailing and staying healthy! She will encourage you to be bold and take a risk but to do so as sensibly as possible. Her enthusiasm is contagious and her poise in the face of the unexpected is reassuring.”

Eva Pronoun

“I loved reading about the boat hitch hiking adventures and how Suzanne does sensitization work about our oceans. So much that she inspired me to try the boat hitchhiking thing as well. From the first moment I read her writing, I knew that I wanted to do the same! I just loved reading with how much passion she realizes her dream step by step. When we were full of doubts if it was the right thing to do, I returned to what she wrote and re-convinced myself that it was all for the best. And it worked out! We sailed from Canary Islands to Cape Verde. There we spent one month looking for a boat to cross the Atlantic Ocean. We finally found one and went from Cape Verde to Barbados. Suzanne has been a major source of inspiration and information!”

Paulina on the Road

“It’s a huge value bomb that makes even the stiffest armchair traveler want to get up, hitch a ride, and cross the ocean. It also does a great job in creating awareness of the grave state the oceans are in, and of the huge impact we can make – if we only choose to.”

Jordan Smith