I’ll start off with praise for the book. The story is simply amazing and the woman will go down in history as one of the most tenacious survivors at sea. Just her navigational skill is something to be admired by 21st century sailors who rely on the whims of the electronic world. Survival story junkies will revel in all the gory details, from his constant attention to water retrieval to the nuances of spear-fishing to keeping his deteriorating raft afloat for 76 days. Amateur psychologists will enjoy his inner dialogue, the rational consciousness scolding his fearful, despondent self for wanting to panic and give up. Those looking for a story of redemption won't be disappointed either as he notes this experience as making him forever appreciative of the fact that "to be well fed, painless and in the company of friends and loved ones are privileges too few enjoy in this often brutal world".

There is nothing I can write further that wouldn't be a spoiler. Not a word. It's a fantastic book if you are a sailor or like real-life adventure stories or even just want a good read that isn't like any other book. Mourning her fiance and weak from her own blood loss, she was catatonic for two days. She didn’t eat, she didn’t move. One of the things I loved about this book is Tami's independence. When she starts working on boats, she insists on learning how to navigate, even with a sextant, and this knowledge definitely played a big role in solving her life. She knew more and had more experience with boats than most of the men she sailed with. I could identify with her desire to live life on her own terms and not stay settled. Adrift was released by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, in collaboration with STXfilms, on Digital HD on August 21, 2018 and DVD and Blu-ray on September 4, 2018. Special features include deleted scenes, 3 featurettes, theatrical trailers as well as a feature commentary by director Baltasar Kormákur and leading actress and producer Shailene Woodley. [15] Critical response [ edit ] The book is very short and can be read in less than a day, which is also unfortunate. Not many people have experienced what the author went through and I believe her ordeal deserved a more detailed description. Perhaps a ghost writer could have helped this author dig deeper into her mind and soul to better describe the loneliness and desparation of the untenable situation.

Callahan departed from Newport, Rhode Island, United States, in 1981 on the Napoleon Solo, a 6.5-metre (21ft) sloop he designed and built himself, single-handedly sailed the boat to Bermuda, and continued the voyage to England with friend Chris Latchem. He had left Cornwall that fall, bound for Antigua as part of the Mini Transat 6.50 single-handed sailing race from Penzance, England, but dropped out of the race in La Coruña, Spain. Bad weather had sunk several boats in the fleet and damaged many others including Napoleon Solo. Callahan made repairs and continued voyaging down the coast of Spain and Portugal, out to Madeira and the Canaries. He departed from El Hierro in the Canary Islands on January 29, 1982, still headed for Antigua. In a growing gale, seven days out, his vessel was badly holed by an unknown object during a night storm, and became swamped, although it did not sink outright due to watertight compartments Callahan had designed into the boat. In his book, Callahan writes that he suspects the damage occurred from a collision with a whale.

Apparently she expected to be hugged plus that there would be lots of tears and she was also saying that it was weird that his parents did not cry. (This was quite a while after the accident by the way) and to me she suggested that his parents were very cold which I am sure they were not. A beautifully tragic tale of two free spirited young people who dreamt of sailing the world together. The story is told by Tami, who survived a devastating hurricane that claimed the life of her fiancé and left her alone at sea for more than forty days. It’s a testament to her will to survive and her decision to learn to navigate that makes this story so amazing.

Fantastic. I was so impressed by Callahan's ability to focus, and to fix the failing equipment when he needed to. His strength of mind was incredible. I wrote more about it in my Commonplace Book. Good survival story. The author had to survive on the open sea for forty-one days after a freak hurricane cripples their boat and her fiancé is swept overboard. The author herself was gravely injured. Callahan was reasonably well-prepared for this nightmare. He had ample experience at sea, and managed to escape his boat (likely sunk after collision with a whale) with vital gear. Even so, surviving required him to be resourceful and resolute in the extreme. He had to repair broken equipment, patch up his boat, learn to fish and collect rainwater, and simply carry on in the face of one hardship after another. Most people—myself included—would have been toast. Many people— maybe myself included—would have just given up. If anything, then, this book is a testament to the will to survive—the willingness to push on, despite every obstacle. I really do wish that I could internalize such determination, that I could face my own trifling difficulties as Callahan faced down the open ocean. I will have to settle for a book review, I suppose. Listing of available speakers", Cruising World, 2003-12-22, archived from the original on 2007-10-06 , retrieved 2007-08-15