The
story
,
?
We're
Not
afraid
to
Die
-
if
We
Can
All
Be
Together'
is
a
story
of
extreme
and
skill
exhibited
by
Gordon
Cook
,
his
family
and
crewmen
in
a
war
with
water
and
waves
for
survival
.
In
July
1976
,
the
narrator
,
his
wife
Mary
,
son
Jonathan
and
daughter
Suzanne
set
sail
from
Plymouth
,
England
to
the
round
-
the
world
voyage
made
200
years
earlier
by
Captain
James
Cook
.
They
took
the
voyage
in
their
professionally
built
ship
,
the
Wavewalker
,
accompanied
by
two
experienced
sailors
?
Larry
Vigil
,
an
American
,
and
Herb
Seigler
,
a
Swiss
,
to
tackle
one
of
the
world's
seas
?
the
Southern
Indian
Ocean
.
The
first
part
of
the
journey
,
that
is
,
about
105
,
000
kilometres
up
to
Cape
Town
passed
off
very
,
pleasantly
.
On
the
second
day
out
of
Cape
Town
,
-
they
began
to
strong
gales
.
Gales
did
not
worry
the
narrator
.
But
the
size
of
the
waves
was
alarming
?
up
to
15
metres
,
as
high
as
the
main
mast
.
On
25th
December
,
the
writer's
ship
was
in
the
southern
Indian
Ocean
,
3500
kilometres
to
the
east
of
Cape
Town
.
The
family
celebrated
their
new
year
on
board
the
ship
.
At
dawn
on
January
2
,
the
waves
were
gigantic
.
Unfriendly
weather
and
waves
compelled
the
sailors
to
slow
their
speed
,
drop
storm
jib
and
take
other
.
The
danger
was
so
obvious
that
the
sailors
completed
life
-
raft
drill
,
attached
lifelines
and
life
jackets
.
Suddenly
at
6
pm
,
a
tremendous
explosion
shook
the
Wavewalker
and
the
author
was
thrown
overboard
.
The
ship
was
about
to
when
another
gigantic
wave
hit
it
tossing
it
upright
once
again
.
The
author
was
thrown
back
onto
the
deck
,
his
head
and
ribs
smashing
against
the
walls
.
In
spite
of
his
injuries
,
the
narrator
took
of
the
situation
.
Somehow
he
found
the
wheel
,
lined
up
the
stem
for
the
next
wave
and
hung
on
till
Mary
appeared
and
took
charge
of
the
.
Larry
and
Herb
started
pumping
out
water
like
madmen
.
The
whole
starboard
side
bulged
inwards
.
The
narrator
managed
to
cover
across
the
gaps
to
prevent
water
from
entering
the
ship
.
Then
came
more
problems
.
Their
hand
pumps
stopped
working
and
electric
pumps
short
-
circuited
.
Fortunately
,
the
narrator
found
a
electric
pump
under
the
that
worked
.
The
entire
night
was
spent
in
pumping
,
steering
,
repairing
and
sending
signals
.
The
narrator
checked
charts
and
calculated
that
Ile
Amsterdam
,
a
scientific
base
,
was
their
only
hope
.
Sue
and
Jon
were
injured
but
they
said
that
they
were
not
afraid
to
die
if
they
could
all
be
together
.
Sue's
head
was
swollen
and
she
had
a
deep
injury
.
The
narrator
became
more
seeing
his
children's
courage
.
Finally
,
they
reached
lie
Amsterdam
,
a
island
where
they
were
welcomed
by
28
.
Thus
,
the
collective
strength
and
never
failing
of
the
sailors
made
it
possible
for
them
to
come
out
of
the
jaws
of
death
.
Though
Jonathan
and
Suzanne
did
not
do
anything
to
save
Wavewalker
but
their
courage
,
,
faith
and
optimism
gave
extra
strength
and
persistence
to
the
narrator
and
his
team
.
The
of
the
strong
-
willed
children
is
noteworthy
in
the
story
.