Although I have never ventured beyond the horizon -- fish for blues out to 25 miles offshore--- I have been fascinated with the modern equivalents of Homer's fabled voyager. This book brings Homer's world-travelling explorer into the 21st century. Make no mistake, this is not a tale of imaginary voyages, but an eminently practical guide for those who would cross oceansin engine powered craft to experience exotic and beautiful vistas. Of course you need upwards of half a million bucks to spend on a world-cruising seaworthy vessel. Beebe never envisioned the exorbitant cost of the trawler market when he designed his original passagemaker. He did lay out some very methodical formulae and building guides for follow-up vessels. The epitome of the lessons fromthe first edition were realized by Jim Leishman, author/editor of the revised edition. His Nordhavn 46, and better, his Nordhavn 62, design are the fulfillment of Beebe's directives.Unlike another reviewer, I did not find that his revisions smacked of a Nordhavn commercial. He included many other contemporary builders' designs and was fair in his assessments of these boats. All in all, the book is THE bible of offshore and trans-oceanic power cruising. The practical aspects of buying and fitting out a vessel, provisioning it for the voyage, and navigating in mid-ocean as well as in shoal waters, are set out in a lively and clear manner.