Describe the harrowing experience of the narrator as the mighty waves hit wavewalker in the southern indian ocean
Answers
The description is from the book ‘Schooner to the Southern Oceans: The Captain James Cook Bicentenary Voyage 1776 – 1976’ by Gordon Cook.
During one of their voyages, after leaving Cape Town, the powerful westerly winds forced them to sail with bare masts. The winds gradually increased to gale force winds and then to a full-blown storm. The waves kept growing bigger and bigger and they were all soaked wet. All of a sudden there was a respite in the wind and the sailors were relieved, though it had grown silent and dark. They then realised with shock that a huge wave had loomed up before them and was about to crash on to the wavewalker! The wave came crashing down and shook the boat violently and it was water everywhere.
"As the waves hit the stem of the ship, the narrator fell with a heavy blow to his head, and was gradually losing consciousness and accepting the approaching death.
Then suddenly his head went above water in the air and he could see the ship turning down on water. But a big wave hit the ship and bright it upright again bringing hope to the mind of the narrator.
He dragged himself to the ship, went on board by supporting force of hitting waves, and felt his ribs had cracked while mouth was full of blood and broken teeth. That’s when he managed to access the wheels and take control of the wavewalker again.
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