Adrift SeventySix Days Lost at Sea Author:Steven Callahan On the night of January 29, 1982, Steven Callahan set sail in his small sloop from the Canary Islands bound for the Caribbean. Thus began one of the most remarkable sea adventures of all time. Six days out on Feb 4th, the sloop sank, and Callahan found himself adrift in the Atlantic in a five-and-a-half-foot inflatable raft with only three pound... more »s of food and eight pints of water. He would drift for seventy-six days over eighteen hundred miles of ocean, fighting off sharks with a makeshift spear, and watching nine ships pass by without turning back, before he reached land and rescue. A story of anguish and horror, hope--and survival.
Steven Callahan, author, drawings, photos, epilogue. Introduction by Edward E. Leslie.« less
I got this book through paperbackswap.com. It had been on someone's recommended reading list. It was a somewhat slow read. I'm sure I'm not the only reader of this book who doesn't have a background in sailing. It would have been helpful if the author had an index that listed many of the nautical terms used and their definitions.
The author also went into great detail about various pieces of equipment--including drawings--which (for me) added nothing of interest. I didn't read these.
Except for the sometimes challenging weather, there wasn't much that happened. There were numerous yawn-inducing day-after-day descriptions of the fish bumping the bottom of the raft and the author's attempts at spearing fish. I was on day 52 and realized I couldn't read about one more attempt to spear a fish or make a repair to the raft. I skipped ahead 60+ pages to Day 71 and then finished the book.
The author has some writing skill. I think the book would have been a lot better had he cut out a lot of the detailed descriptions of his repetitive attempts at fishing, boat repairs, etc.
Compelling book about the author, whose boat sank in the Atlantic, leaving him living in a raft for 76 days before floating to land. Gives practical advice on how he survived, as well as his thoughts and psychological issues of the time alone.
Kyle S. reviewed Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea on
This is a very interesting adventure story. A true life account, the author tells his story of being lost at sea for 76 days. Most of it comes from the journal he kept for the first 30-40 days.
This is an incredibly powerful book. I have read it many times, particularly when you think you are getting more than you can handle in life. I found my copy at Goodwill and bought it on a lark. It was money well spent. His story will stay with you for a long time.
