Broken Seas
True Tales of Extraordinary Seafaring Adventures
By Marlin Bree, Marlin, Bree
Marlor Press, Inc.
Copyright © 2005 Marlin Bree
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-892147-09-7
Contents
Prologue STORM HARBOR,
Chapter One TEN FEET ACROSS THE PACIFIC The remarkable voyage of Gerry Spiess & Yankee Girl,
Chapter Two THE OLD MAN AND THE INLAND SEA Helmer Aakvik’s daring rescue attempt during an ice storm,
Chapter Three THE LOST SCHOONER The incredible retrieval & loss of the 1846 Alvin Clark,
Chapter Four THE EDMUND FITZGERALD’S LAST RACE The crew of the “Big Fitz” battle it out to the last,
Chapter Five THE PASSION OF MIKE PLANT America’s greatest solo sailing hero takes his final ride in Coyote,
Chapter Six THE DA Y ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE A small boat battles the Storm of the Century – and survives,
Author’s Notes,
Index,
CHAPTER 1
TEN FEET ACROSS THE PACIFIC
INTRODUCTION
MISTS SHROUDED THE GRAY SEAS OFF THE LIZARD as Yankee Girl searched for land. Aboard his 10-foot sloop, Gerry Spiess had been working his way toward Falmouth, England, encountering not only a thick fog but strong tidal currents that could sweep his little plywood boat into the treacherous reefs of Cornwall’s coastline. He’d listen for the Lizard’s fog horn, a long blast followed by a short one, then start up his outboard engine and head directly toward the sound. After 10 minutes, he’d turn off the engine, listen and take a new bearing.
Suddenly, the fog lifted. Rising above the cliffs was the sparkling Lizard point and beyond, green fields.
The ex-schoolteacher breathed a sigh of relief. He had ended one of the most remarkable voyages in history by piloting his home -built boat 3,800 miles across the stormy North Atlantic Ocean to England to set a new world’s record for the smallest boat to cross from West to East.
Two years after his 1979 North Atlantic voyage, he wanted to sail the same little boat again. This time the challenge he picked was to cross the world’s largest ocean.
It would be a monumental voyage of 7,800 miles to Sydney, Australia, across the Pacific Ocean.
He shoved off from Long Beach, California, hoping to quickly pick up the South Pacific’s steady and balmy trade winds. His first port of call, Honolulu, Hawaii, beckoned to the west.
But the Pacific had turned cold and treacherous.
TEN FEET ACROSS THE PACIFIC
The remarkable voyage of Gerry Spiess and Yankee Girl
A full moon had arisen over the South Pacific Ocean and in its silvery light, ominous big rollers were forming and breaking. Long waves with white breakers were beginning to overhang the small sailboat and slam hard into Yankee Girl’s transom, giving her nasty shoves.
As Gerry Spiess threw open the hatch, a chill wind brushed his face and he saw that the waves were starting to run confused and were piling up.
A splash of spray hit him – the water was remarkably cold.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
Voyaging in the South Pacific was supposed to have sunshiny days in warm trade winds, with tropical nights ablaze with stars. But this trip was turning nasty.
It was the evening of the ninth day, and, the waves were rearing up to overshadow the 10-foot sloop. He had entered the convergence zone, where a cold current runs down from Alaska and meets the warm central current. Big rollers were starting to form and break.
When the wind changed direction, it had created two sets of waves. One set of waves was running 8
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