Rescue in the Pacific: A True Story of Disaster and Survival in a Force 12 Storm - Hardcover

Farrington, Tony

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0070213674 ISBN 13: 9780070213678

Publisher: McGraw-Hill, 1995

Synopsis

Aboard my yacht, securely berthed in Gulf Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand I was listening to a high-frequency radio, following the progress of a fleet of sailing yachts sailing in a regatta to Tonga, 1,000 miles away, and at first I was envious. My plan had been to accompany the fleet, but business demands had kept me firmly anchored in New Zealand.
But as the weekend progressed, I became more and more grateful that I was not out there. The radio crackled with the voices of people in distress. The crews of boats with names familiar to me reported dangerous conditions. They had sailed into a storm worse than any we had imagined likely at that time of year.
While those at sea fought for their lives, we in port forwent sleep, glued to the radio throughout the days and nights of their ordeal. We followed the fortunes of those we knew and tracked the progress of those we did not. How were they coping? Were their boats and their seamanship equal to it? Would they pull through?
These were hours of high drama. For more than 72 hours, daring rescues were performed by the Royal New Zealand Navy the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the French Navy, a fishing boat, and two freighters. Despite limited resources and the vast distances involved, 21 people were rescued. Scores of others battled their way through the rough storm successfully, while three people aboard one boat were lost to the sea.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

In June 1994 a dangerous "bomb" storm caught dozens of cruising sailors by surprise as they voyaged north from New Zealand. This is the true story of how nine yachts struggled to survive the hurricane-like conditions. Boats were battered by fierce winds and capsized by seas towering well over 50 feet high.

Masts collapsed, rudders broke, and sailors lost steering control when they needed it most.

This book details the story of the heroic men and women on the yachts, in the planes, on the ships, and on land who took part in this sea drama--find out what really happened and what it was like out there.

This is both a shock course in survival for bluewater voyagers and a riveting human drama for sailors and nonsailors alike.

"If you're cruising now, clear a space on your boat's bookshelf: The lessons here can help pull you through even a nightmare of a storm."--SAIL

" . . . a dramatic story of life, death, and the epic struggle of man against the forces of nature . . . gripping . . . compelling . . . a story as spellbinding and harrowing as any novel."--Multihulls

" . . . gripping reading. . . . Farrington's account of the skippers' attempts to secure their boats against the storm will be invaluable to blue water sailors. . . . You don't have to know much about sailing to find this book fascinating. It is a story of human endeavor, endurance, courage, and frailty, and the accounts of the rescues are particularly exciting."--The Evening Post (Wellington, New Zealand)

"[a]book you will want to read from cover to cover."--Boating NZ

"Tony Farrington tells a remarkable rescue story. . . . If you enjoy the water, I suggest that you read this volume."--The Ensign

"The human spirit . . . is the best survival tool there is. That is one of the lessons of this valuable, enthralling book."--John Rousmaniere, author of Fastnet, Force 10

About the Author:

Tony Farrington (Auckland, New Zealand) has been around the sea and boats most of his life. Only a last-minute business commitment prevented him from putting to sea unwittingly into the jaws of this storm. An experienced journalist and television reporter, he also runs a successful public relations and advertising company that has worked with two of his country's America's Cup challenges. Tony is currently planning a world circumnavigation.

About this edition

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0070213674
• ISBN 13: 9780070213678
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 273