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Three Years in a Twelve-Foot Boat
This is the true narrative of a middle-aged poet who rows and sails a featherweight wooden boat through nineteen countries - 15,000 miles - to relive his youth and savor adventure. While courting disaster in some of the Western Hemisphere's remotest corners, he records nature, cultures, and his own emotional processes.
Paperback
First published September 1, 2000
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About the author
Stephen G. Ladd
1 book2 followersStephen Ladd was born in Bremerton, Washington in 1953. As a child he was happy to sit in a corner reading books, often of history or geography. After high school he traveled through Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, witnessing the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and spending a month in a Moroccan prison. Upon his return Steve studied urban planning, obtaining degrees from Western Washington and Harvard Universities. He worked for various Puget Sound counties and cities, writing land use plans and administering environmental regulations. His principal hobby was wilderness skiing.
In the late 1980s Steve designed and built 12-foot Squeak. In the early 1990s he conducted the voyage described in "Three Years in a 12-Foot Boat," which he self-published. A second edition is now available.
In 2009-2014 Steve and now-wife Virginia traveled in a 21-foot boat. They rowed, sailed, and motored from Florida down through the western Caribbean, then up the Orinoco River. In Venezuela they found the Casiquiare headwater connection to the Rio Negro and descended the latter. It fed into the Amazon. From the latter they ascended the Madeira River and the Guapore, to the head of navigation, then transported the boat to the Rio Paraguay, which they descended to Buenos Aires, Argentina. They then traveled back north via the Uruguay, Parana, Araguaia, and Tocantins Rivers, having a son in Brazil. Virginia and their baby flew home from Belem while Steve continued via the open sea, but he shipwrecked in the Dominican Republic. This voyage was documented in "The Five-Year Voyage: Exploring Latin American Coasts and Rivers."
Steve, Ginny, and their two sons live in Bremerton, Washington.
In the late 1980s Steve designed and built 12-foot Squeak. In the early 1990s he conducted the voyage described in "Three Years in a 12-Foot Boat," which he self-published. A second edition is now available.
In 2009-2014 Steve and now-wife Virginia traveled in a 21-foot boat. They rowed, sailed, and motored from Florida down through the western Caribbean, then up the Orinoco River. In Venezuela they found the Casiquiare headwater connection to the Rio Negro and descended the latter. It fed into the Amazon. From the latter they ascended the Madeira River and the Guapore, to the head of navigation, then transported the boat to the Rio Paraguay, which they descended to Buenos Aires, Argentina. They then traveled back north via the Uruguay, Parana, Araguaia, and Tocantins Rivers, having a son in Brazil. Virginia and their baby flew home from Belem while Steve continued via the open sea, but he shipwrecked in the Dominican Republic. This voyage was documented in "The Five-Year Voyage: Exploring Latin American Coasts and Rivers."
Steve, Ginny, and their two sons live in Bremerton, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 3, 2020
This book is so bad my sailing book club abandoned it after a week. I alone stuck it out to finish it because I wanted to make a honest and educated review.
Let us start with the technical: The "kindle" book, which costs $10, can not be read on kindle devices or using the kindle web browser reader. It can only be read in kindle apps. The text can not be resized, the font can not be changed. I hope you have a tablet because if you have to read it on your phone it's going to be miserable. It is not hard to format a book for kindle publishing but the book acts like a pdf with absolutely not formatting whatsoever.
The book itself... well. Stephen Ladd, a 37 year old Harvard graduate builds himself a rowboat with a sail and heads off on the journey of a lifetime. As he's done this before and as his brother also opts to climb Mount McKinley in the middle of the book, we can assume they come from an adventurous family. Good for them. Mr. Ladd spends his trip wrapped in a cocoon of superiority. His racism is bad enough and it's there but his poor character really shows is in his interactions with women. Despite being a grown man with all indications of a good upbringing and loving family, Mr. Ladd can not seem to survive without the company of a woman. Ideally a woman less than half his age. A prostitute, if necessary. He's not shy of telling us about his sexual exploits and there are two scenes where he has sex with women who are clearly not consenting. Shame on you, Mr. Ladd. Lines like, 'she resisted but not with her full strength' and '[She] tried to enjoy it.' will haunt me. They should haunt you too but of course, you are too busy being dramatic and lovelorn as you move on with your self indulgent trip.
The writing is poor. The poetry is abysmal. There is plenty of self-reflection but only of the most shallow sort. Mr. Ladd manages zero self-growth and instead spends his three-year trip sneering at other people's living conditions.
Let us start with the technical: The "kindle" book, which costs $10, can not be read on kindle devices or using the kindle web browser reader. It can only be read in kindle apps. The text can not be resized, the font can not be changed. I hope you have a tablet because if you have to read it on your phone it's going to be miserable. It is not hard to format a book for kindle publishing but the book acts like a pdf with absolutely not formatting whatsoever.
The book itself... well. Stephen Ladd, a 37 year old Harvard graduate builds himself a rowboat with a sail and heads off on the journey of a lifetime. As he's done this before and as his brother also opts to climb Mount McKinley in the middle of the book, we can assume they come from an adventurous family. Good for them. Mr. Ladd spends his trip wrapped in a cocoon of superiority. His racism is bad enough and it's there but his poor character really shows is in his interactions with women. Despite being a grown man with all indications of a good upbringing and loving family, Mr. Ladd can not seem to survive without the company of a woman. Ideally a woman less than half his age. A prostitute, if necessary. He's not shy of telling us about his sexual exploits and there are two scenes where he has sex with women who are clearly not consenting. Shame on you, Mr. Ladd. Lines like, 'she resisted but not with her full strength' and '[She] tried to enjoy it.' will haunt me. They should haunt you too but of course, you are too busy being dramatic and lovelorn as you move on with your self indulgent trip.
The writing is poor. The poetry is abysmal. There is plenty of self-reflection but only of the most shallow sort. Mr. Ladd manages zero self-growth and instead spends his three-year trip sneering at other people's living conditions.
January 30, 2022
Thank you to Stephen Ladd, Seekers Press, and NetGalley for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.
I saw a review that compared Stephen Ladd to Joshua Slocum and I was very excited to start this journey! However...
Almost immediately, I was thoroughly appalled at the author's monumental lack of preparedness for this journey. He used road maps in most cases rather than marine charts. He did not read up on or interview people with experience in the route to find out important points of note such as spillways and non-navigable portions of rivers. For example, when he first entered the Mississippi River from the Missouri, he mentioned that there was a sign on the other side of the river that said "ALL BOATS" over a shipping canal that paralleled the main river. Unfortunately, he chose to ignore this sign and continued down the main channel of the Mississippi. He soon became aware of the sound of rushing water. He continued on. The sound of rushing water became louder. He continued on. A faint mist was rising from a point in the river ahead. He continued on. He got within 50 yards of a rapid before it occurred to him that all these clues were loudly pointing out to him that the "Chain of Rocks" obstruction was creating a waterfall ahead!
I enjoyed reading about the atmosphere of the rivers that Stephen Ladd traveled, but I found myself wanting a lot more description of the flora, fauna, and ecosystem that surrounded him. His descriptions of these were brief and lacking in curiosity. Much of the text was instead given over to descriptions of the acquaintances that the author makes along his quest. While the author has a very outgoing personality and can seemingly talk any stranger into sharing his food or transportation, the author shows little appreciation or respect for many of these characters and often discusses them with disdain and a lack of empathy. His interactions with women were often abusive and universally disturbing. In spite of all of this I kept pushing on because of the glimpses of scenery.
At 30% of the way through the book I finally decided that it was not worth reading any further at a scene in a bar in a small South American backwater in which the author is resentful of a prostitute that he has hired because once he pays her she no longer seems genuinely interested in him. That scene was the culmination of all the immaturity that I had excused him of up until then. Enough.
I saw a review that compared Stephen Ladd to Joshua Slocum and I was very excited to start this journey! However...
Almost immediately, I was thoroughly appalled at the author's monumental lack of preparedness for this journey. He used road maps in most cases rather than marine charts. He did not read up on or interview people with experience in the route to find out important points of note such as spillways and non-navigable portions of rivers. For example, when he first entered the Mississippi River from the Missouri, he mentioned that there was a sign on the other side of the river that said "ALL BOATS" over a shipping canal that paralleled the main river. Unfortunately, he chose to ignore this sign and continued down the main channel of the Mississippi. He soon became aware of the sound of rushing water. He continued on. The sound of rushing water became louder. He continued on. A faint mist was rising from a point in the river ahead. He continued on. He got within 50 yards of a rapid before it occurred to him that all these clues were loudly pointing out to him that the "Chain of Rocks" obstruction was creating a waterfall ahead!
I enjoyed reading about the atmosphere of the rivers that Stephen Ladd traveled, but I found myself wanting a lot more description of the flora, fauna, and ecosystem that surrounded him. His descriptions of these were brief and lacking in curiosity. Much of the text was instead given over to descriptions of the acquaintances that the author makes along his quest. While the author has a very outgoing personality and can seemingly talk any stranger into sharing his food or transportation, the author shows little appreciation or respect for many of these characters and often discusses them with disdain and a lack of empathy. His interactions with women were often abusive and universally disturbing. In spite of all of this I kept pushing on because of the glimpses of scenery.
At 30% of the way through the book I finally decided that it was not worth reading any further at a scene in a bar in a small South American backwater in which the author is resentful of a prostitute that he has hired because once he pays her she no longer seems genuinely interested in him. That scene was the culmination of all the immaturity that I had excused him of up until then. Enough.
September 27, 2023
It took a lot of reading to get through this book. It is an absolute epic. Some of the description is fabulous and the adventures and encounters along the journey really bring it to life.
There is quite a lot of technical 'boat speak' which I found myself skipping past as I got further into the book as I didn't find it added to my enjoyment as I didn't really understand it, but it also didn't affect the enjoyment of the book to skim past.
I think if anyone reading the book has visited any of the same places there will be an even deeper level of interest, but for those of us less traveled but with big dreams it's definitely a worthwhile and enjoyable read.
There is quite a lot of technical 'boat speak' which I found myself skipping past as I got further into the book as I didn't find it added to my enjoyment as I didn't really understand it, but it also didn't affect the enjoyment of the book to skim past.
I think if anyone reading the book has visited any of the same places there will be an even deeper level of interest, but for those of us less traveled but with big dreams it's definitely a worthwhile and enjoyable read.
August 17, 2018
As a traveler myself I'm sure this was a great trip and life changing but that was not captured in the writing of this book. There's something immature about his recounting of women perhaps I just prefer the creed " a gentleman never tells". Three years of bouncing around and he doesn't mention books or music to any real depth and his own poems are easy to pass over without any loss. Kind of surprised that a person who graduated from Harvard wrote something so weak or at least didn't have the thought to not publish.
February 23, 2022
A tale of adventure in a small hand built craft, over incredible distances and into exotic places. It might have been an enjoyable read, save for the author's casual racism, womanizing, and obnoxious sense of superiority over the cultures and peoples he visited. Mid way through, I wish I hadn't started reading this book. It required a marathon effort to finish it.
August 2, 2025
If you want to read a book about someone who just up and left society for 3 years this is an amazing choice. The author is older and some of his terminology is dated, but I felt like I was sailing the seas and living life through his eyes as he's quite open and honest about everything he does and thinks as he travels.
March 29, 2022
Somewhat interesting to read of his monumental journey, however it got very repetitive,
November 12, 2016
i enjoyed this one. it was a slow read but it was a long journey for estevan so it was ok. it helps to be a sailor to understand the sailing descriptions. he does include detailed drawings in the front of the book to help with that. my sailing experience includes watching reruns of Gilligan's island.
good book !
good book !
June 19, 2012
The guy is almost painfully honest, which makes a good read. It also leaves you with the sense that you wouldn't want your sister marrying him. ;-) I love solo ocean journey books, and this is one of the really good ones.
June 8, 2013
Very fascinating, funny read. Whether Stephen Ladd was dealing with government red tape, pirates, soldiers or a Nazi hiding out in the jungle, he never runs out of witty observations. Ladd's journey proves that events that really happen are far funnier than any fiction.
May 16, 2014
A wonderful adventure - Similar to Tristan Jones but not as exciting. I think Tristan fudged a bit.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews