Adrift, by Steven Callahan
A well-written account of how Callahan spent 76 days alone and adrift in a life raft after his ship sank in a storm. He was an expert sailor and had been on a long solo voyage before that, so he was well-equipped to handle the situation. He goes into fascinating detail about how he set up his tiny raft (complete with hand-drawn diagrams), caught fish, etc. Even so, it was a dire situation and he survived only by means of extreme resourcefulness, previous foresight (he’d read and recalled other people’s adrift at sea accounts, and bought a “large” raft intended for six people because he could barely move in the smaller ones), and a lot of good luck.
That is, good luck considering that his ship sank, he nearly drowned trying to grab his survival duffel bag, ships passed him by without spotting him, and several crucial elements of his raft turned out to not work very well. On the other hand, he could have drifted in a direction where no one would have ever found him.
Callahan always had an essentially spiritual relationship with the ocean, which this experience only deepened, so the book falls into the category of “my relationship with nature” as well as straightforward survival story. I could have done with more of the aftermath but these sorts of books virtually always skimp on that, so I’m resigned. It’s considered a classic of first-hand survival experience and for good reason. My edition (Mariner) has a charming introduction which is well worth reading.
What true survival stories are your favorites?
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2231671.html. Comment here or there.
That is, good luck considering that his ship sank, he nearly drowned trying to grab his survival duffel bag, ships passed him by without spotting him, and several crucial elements of his raft turned out to not work very well. On the other hand, he could have drifted in a direction where no one would have ever found him.
Callahan always had an essentially spiritual relationship with the ocean, which this experience only deepened, so the book falls into the category of “my relationship with nature” as well as straightforward survival story. I could have done with more of the aftermath but these sorts of books virtually always skimp on that, so I’m resigned. It’s considered a classic of first-hand survival experience and for good reason. My edition (Mariner) has a charming introduction which is well worth reading.
What true survival stories are your favorites?
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2231671.html. Comment here or there.