At the Mercy of the Sea: The True Story of Three Sailors in a Caribbean Hurricane
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Product Description
“The tale of Carl Wake and the hurricane that was waiting for him goes straight to the heart of the greatest sea stories: they are not about man against the sea, but man against himself. John Kretschmer’s book is as perfectly shaped and flawlessly written as such a story can be. In addition to being the best depiction I have ever read of what it is like to be inside a hurricane at sea, At the Mercy of the Sea is as moving a story of a man’s failure and redemption as can be found anywhere in the literature of the sea. This book is surely destined to become a classic.”—Peter Nichols, author of Sea Change and A Voyage for Madmen “John Kretschmer has transformed this story of three men on a collision course with a hurricane into a modern seafaring classic.”—Peter Nielsen, editor of SAIL magazine “With expert analysis and taut writing, he draws readers into that mad storm. You can’t turn away. You keep reading until it breaks your heart.”—Fred Grimm, columnist for the Miami Herald “Once begun, his vivid and powerful narrative is impossible to put down.”—Derek Lundy, author of Godforsaken Sea and The Way of a Ship “I felt I knew Carl Wake, because John Kretschmer found in him an archetype—an aging sailor with an age-old dream.”—Jim Carrier, transatlantic sailor and author of The Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of the Fantome “A remarkable book, impossible to put down.”—Herb McCormick, sailing journalist
Spotlight Customer Reviews:
Summary:
Anything by Kretchmer!
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Comment:
John is a joy to listen to at his lectures and his books do not disappoint either. This book is a great sea story.
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Summary:
You can't put it down
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Comment:
Wow, I love this book! I told my wife that I had to get back to reading the book, as I had left the three sailors in the swelling ocean.
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Summary:
At the Mercy of the Sea
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Comment:
Three distinctly different boats, sailors, and destinations that found themselfs in the same area at the same time. Each chose a sailing strategy that made common sense, but nature doesn't always follow the rules. Many offshore sailors could identify with one, two, or all three of these skippers. It's a sobering tale that you can't put down.
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Summary:
A must read for sailors and arm chair sailors
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Comment:
John Kretschmer captures the psyche of singlehanding sailors and those who want to make the transition from weekend sailors to blue water sailors. The fast moving action follows three boats and their crews, two of which are singlehanding, as they move towards their inevitable encounter with Hurricane Lenny.
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Summary:
Eulogy for a friend
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Comment:
This is an interesting sea story that will certainly entertain sailing enthusiasts for a long time. The story focused too heavily on the rather idealized but troubled life of a friend of the author, and at times suffers from too much speculation as to the mindset of the sailors eventually lost at sea. These literary shortcomings, however, are a reasonable trade off for the authors vast experience and knowledge of sailing. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in sailing.
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