Crossing the Swell: An Atlantic Journey by Rowboat

Acting on self-assured determination and an ever-growing sense of adventure, Tori Holmes, a 21-year-old from Alberta, Canada, and Paul Gleeson, a 29-year-old financial advisor from Limerick, Ireland, embraced the dream of rowing a tiny boat across the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean in the 2005/06 Trans-Atlantic Race. Of course, neither of the young adventurers knew how to row.

In February 2006, they completed their epic journey after 86 days of huge seas, violent storms, terrifying capsizes,...