We are Not Afraid to Die if We Can all be Together

– Gordon Cook and Alan East

Summary
The narrative describes how optimism, determination and strong will power raise one’s spirits and
help us overcome all forms of stressful situations. The narrator was a 37 years old businessmen. His
dream was to travel around the world through sea just like Captain James Cook which he wished to
complete in three years. He was along with his wife Mary, his daughter Suzanne and his son who
was only six years old.

Everything went on well till they sailed down the west coast of Africa and reached Cape Town. The
trouble started on the second day out of Cape Town. They began to encounter strong gales. They
blew continuously for the next few weeks. Gales didn’t worry them. But the size of the waves was
alarming— up to 15 metres. They rose as high as up to the main mast. They expected the weather
to improve on the New Year’s Day. Sadly the weather changed but for the worse. The family
celebrated their new year (1977) on board the ship. Next came a phase when the ship was caught
in the stormy seas. The weather suddenly became very terrible. The writer thought that their ship
would ride over the waves but were heavily caught amidst the stormy situations at the sea. There
was water everywhere and they found the ship to be sinking. The condition was extremely helpless
and very pathetic. Water was gushing in from everywhere. Debris was floating across the cabins.
The electric pump was also not working as it had short-circuited. They had to keep pumping and
steering all night long. The writer’s daughter’s head had swollen and she had a deep injury.
However, the bravery of the strong-willed children is noteworthy in the story.
On January 4, they breathed a sigh of relief after having survived 36 hours of continuous pumping.
However, their relief seemed to be quite short-lived because by evening that day the sea again
witnessed bad weather. This is the turning point of the story when we see the author consoling the
children. It was quite amazing when the children said, “we aren’t afraid of dying if we can all be
together.” This led to the building energy and enthusiasm inside a very extremely fatigued writer.
He decided to heave and fight the sea.

Next day saw a very bright morning. He was welcomed by his children. They called him the best
daddy in the world. He rushed to the deck and to his amazement, gazed at the stark outline of Ile
Amsterdam. It seemed to him to be the most beautiful island in the world. They anchored off shore
for the night and then were welcomed by the 28 inhabitants of the island the next morning. All
along, the only thing which filled the writer’s mind was the undeterred courage which his wife
Mary showed, his daughter who didn’t worry about her head injury and his son who wasn’t afraid
of dying.
The narrator’s family is a descendant of Captain James Cook whose round the earth voyages are
popular in the history. After 200 years of Cook’s chain of journeys, the narrator and his little family
– wife and two children – set sail in July, 1976 in their hulled boat Wavewalker from Plymouth.

Once in the atrocious Southern Indian Ocean, the boat was hit by a gigantic wave, breaking a
section of the boat and the ribs broken. Through the hole water streamed in and the boat was
nearly sinking. The rest is a war with water and waves for survival. The children knew the end had
come yet they said they were ready to die if the family could die all together. Hearing this, the
narrator continued his struggles with added strength and finally closed the hole, got the water out
of the ship but that was not all – the question of their location in sea was hard to answer. With no
access to a radio signal from the land, with no maps nor compass, the narrator made a rough
calculation and the ship anchored near Ile Amsterdam, a tiny island.

Preparation

The journey was planned for three years and a distance of 105,000 kilometres. Route plan – Start
point England, via South Africa, through Indian Ocean, then to Australia, the Americas and finally
back in England. The boat – Wavewalker – was a 23 meter long, 30 ton wooden hulled beauty.
Sailors – The narrator, his wife Mary, son Jonathan, 6 years and daughter Suzanne, 7 years, Larry
Vigil and Herb Seigler. July, 1976 – Voyage Begins Voyage begins from Plymouth, England. Good
weather and cheerful days. From England via west coast of Africa Larry Vigil, American Herb Seigler,
Swiss In the Indian Ocean – December 25 Voyagers reaches 3,500 kilometres east of Cape Town.
The weather was still atrocious yet they had a wonderful holiday complete with a Christmas tree.
New Year’s Day saw no improvement in the weather. Dawn, January 2 1977 Gigantic waves in the
morning. Sailing with only a small storm jib and were still making eight knots. Ship rises to the top
of each wave Endless, enormous seas rolling towards the ship The screaming of the wind and spray
painful to ears

Fighting the Sea

The storm jib dropped, A heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stern lashed Double-lashed
everything Went through life-raft drill Attached lifelines Donned oilskins and life jackets 6:00 PM,
January 2 Waves higher than the ship, chase the ship The wave hits the back of the ship The wave
breaks the starboard (right side) The ship was about to capsize (sink) Mary (the narrator’s wife)
took the steering wheel Larry and Herb pumped the water from the deck An immediate action
required Water level rose threateningly Pumps stopped functioning Electric pumps used All radio
signals blocked. No communication with base. Sue’s (his daughter’s) eyes bumped against January
3 Survived 48 hours Auxiliary engine failed January 4 Water level almost dipped Still unable to hoist
sail on the mast for fear of the ship’s possible wreckage. Hoisted the storm jib Headed to the
direction of Ile Amsterdam (not very certain about it) Ate a meal after 48 hours January 5 Weather
went on deteriorating (became worse) Jonathan says “Daddy, if we are all dying, we are not afraid
to die…” More water flowed in. Sue made a card with her family in the ship as a caricature.
Narrator went to sleep after predicting the ship’s reaching Ile Amsterdam Before 6.00 pm the ship
reached Ile Amsterdam.

Questions & Answers

1. How did the narrator and his wife prepare for the long voyage?
Hints – 16 years – Mary and Gordon Cook – honing seafaring skills for 16 years –
Wavewalker – 23 metre ship – 30 ton wooden hulled beauty – professionally built – spent
months in the harsh weathers of British waters.

2. Why did the narrator and family plan an adventurous voyage risking their lives?
The narrator Gordon Cook was in line with the family of Captain James Cook. To
commemorate Cook’s great adventurous voyages across the globe, the narrator and his
family decided to imitate one of his voyages.

3. “For the longest time, Mary and I – a 37 year old businessman – had dreamed of sailing in
the wake of the famous explorer…” 1. What does in the wake of mean?
In the wake of means ‘following or imitating’ some past incidents.

4. What did they do ‘in the wake of the famous explorer? 4. Describe the first leg of the
planned three years of the voyage.
Hints – an expected distance of 105000 kilometers – pleasant journey – West coast of
Africa – to Cape Town

5. Who joined the voyage from Cape Town?

American Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Seigler joined the voyage from Cape Town, South
Africa, to help the narrator’s family tackle one of the world’s roughest seas, the southern
Indian Ocean.

6. Describe the first signs of weather change that the voyagers experienced out of Cape Town?
On the second day out of Cape Town, the voyagers began to encounter strong gales which
blew continuously for next couple of days. The size of the waves was as high as 15 meters,
the height of the main mast of the Wave-walker.

7. The voyagers celebrated a Christmas and New Year differently from usual in the Indian
Ocean. Explain.
 On December 25 the voyagers reached 3,500 kilometres east of Cape Town. The weather
was still atrocious yet they had a wonderful holiday complete with a Christmas tree. Though
New Year’s Day saw no improvement in the weather, yet they reasoned that it had to
change soon. At the end of the celebrations, they entered a more turbulent Sea and their
cheers faded.

8. What did the crew do to slow the boat down before it was bashed open by the wave?
Hints – Dropped the storm-jib – lashed a heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stern –
double lashed everything – went through life raft-drill – attached lifelines – donned oil-skins
and life jackets.

9. What did the captain and crew do to overcome the disaster?

Captain : Gordon Cook, the captain, had amazing vitality and strong hope. Having asked his
wife to take the wheel, he rushed into the underground cabin to see the children. Rather
than being an emotional father, he directed his concentration to the damaged side of the
ship. With canvas, nails and a hammer, he closed the broken side of the ship. Mary : Mary,
the captain’s wife stayed behind the steering wheel for two long days without rest.
The Otherwise Men - Larry and Herb- Working as hard as others. Jonathan and Suzanne –
trying to encourage the adults – laughing and making others laugh – making a card .

10. Besides the disastrous crack in the starboard side, the crew and captain had to face further
adversities. Explain.

Introduction – No radio signals – Hand pumps failed due to debris (duhbree) – Three other hand
pumps were wrenched overboard – Electric pumps short circuited – Could not hoist sail on the
main mast – Compass needed magnetic correction – Sue’s injury was posing another threat.

11. Why do you feel like agreeing with Jonathan who said that his father was the best captain?
Godron Cook, the narrator, deserves to be hailed the best captain for the wonderful prediction
that he made about Wavewalker’s reaching Ile Amsterdam. A prediction that he made without
an accurate compass, without any external guidance over a radio call, without anything but
experience and common sense, his prediction took the ship and six adventurous lives to safety.

12. Why does the narrators call Ile Amsterdam the most beautiful island in the world?
Ile Amsterdam is a tiny island full of rocks and hardly any vegetation yet the narrators are all
praise for this barren pinprick in the Indian ocean for its being refuge to Wavewalker that
was about to capsize in the wild ocean.
Additional Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. What preparations did the author and his wife make for their round to
the world sea-voyage?
Ans. The narrator and his wife wanted to ‘duplicate’ the round—the world voyage made
200 years earlier by Captain James Cook. They had been makingformidable preparations for
the last 16 years. First of all they got a boat especially designed and professionally built for
this purpose. It was a 23 metre, 30 tonne wooden-hulled boat. They tested it for months in
the roughest weather. They were both mentally and physically prepared to undertake their
exceptionally long and challenging sea-voyage.

Q2. When and how did they encounter their first troubles during the long
voyage?
Ans. Everything went on well till they sailed down the west coast of Africa and reached Cape
Town. The trouble started on the second day out of Cape Town.They began to encounter
strong gales. They blew continuously for the nextfew weeks. Gales didn’t worry them. But
the size of the waves was alarming—up to 15 metres. They rose as high as up to the main
mast. They expected the weather to improve on the New Year’s Day. Sadly the weather
changed but for the worse.

Q3. What were the first indications of the ‘impending disaster’ that
ultimately struck them on January 2?
Ans. The first indication of the impending disaster came at about 6 p.m. on January 2. An
ominous silence prevailed all around. The wind dropped. The sky immediately grew dark.
Then came a growing roar. A huge vertical wave, almost twice the height of the other
waves, came roaring towards the ship. These were the indications of the coming disaster.

Q4. How did the first ‘disaster’ strike the ship?

Ans. On New Year’s Day the weather changed for the worse. The waves were gigantic.
Strong gales did trouble them. As the ship rose to the top of each wave, they could see
endless huge waves. These were rolling towards them. The howling of the wind and the
spray was painful to the ears. The sky grew dark. A torrent of green and white water broke
over the ship. The captain was thrown overboard.

Q5. What precautions did the narrator take when huge waves struck the
boat on January 2?
Ans. Huge waves came rolling towards the boat. The howling of gales and spray was painful
to the ears. First of all, they decided to slow down the boat. The storm jib was dropped.
Heavy mooring ropes were looped across the stern. They went through their life-raft drill.
They attached lifelines. Oilskins and life-jackets were donned. Larry and Herb were
continuously pumping out the water like madmen.

Q6. How did the narrator accept his ‘approaching death and why was he
still peaceful’?
Ans. The narrator saw a torrent of green and white water breaking over the ship. His head
had smashed into the wheel. He felt himself flying overboard and sinking below the waves.
He was losing consciousness. He accepted his approaching death without murmuring. He
felt quite peaceful even when death was approaching and Wavewalker was near capsizing.

Q7. How did the narrator hurt himself on January 2?

Ans. Wavewalker was capsizing. Her masts had fallen. Huge waves struck the boat upright.
The narrator grabbed the guard rails. He sailed through the air into Wavewalker’s main
boom. Waves tossed him around the deck like a rag doll. His left ribs cracked and his mouth
was filled with blood and broken teeth.

Q8. Who were Larry and Herb? What role did they play?
Ans. Before heading east from Cape Town, the narrator employed two crewmen. They were
Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Seigler. They were to help them ‘to take one of the world’s
roughest seas, the Southern Indian Ocean. Larry and Herb did their job quite well. When the
gigantic waves struck Wavewalker, they continued pumping water out of the boat.

Q9. How did Sue hurt herself and how did she bear the injury?
Ans. The narrator crawled into the children’s cabin to find out if they were safe. Sue told
him that her head was hurt a bit. He saw a big bump over her eyes. Sue’s head had swollen
alarmingly. She showed a deep cut on her arm. But she didn’t want to worry them when
they were trying to save them all.

Q10. Describe the situation on the morning of January 3.

Ans. By morning on January 3, the situation showed a little improvement. Pumps had been
working round the clock. The water level was sufficiently under control. The crewmen could
take two hours’ rest in rotation. But there was still a tremendous leak somewhere below
the waterline. No doubt, they had survived for 15 hours since the wave hit Wavewalker. But
it would not hold long enough for them to reach Australia.

Q11. Why and when did the captain send ‘May day calls’? What was the
response?
Ans. On January 2 at 6 pm Wavewalker was hit by a gigantic wave. The captain and the crew
tried their best to pump water out and steer the ship to safety.When nothing seemed to
work well, May-day calls or SOS signals were sentfor rescue and help. But they didn’t get
any replies. It was not surprising inthat remote corner of the world.

Q12. Describe the situation on January 4. Why did the narrator and Mary feel that ‘the end
was very near’?
Ans. On January 4, after 36 hours of continuous pumping, they could pump the water out.
Mary found some corned beef and biscuits. They ate their first meal in almost two days. But
their respite was short-lived. At 4 pm black clouds began building up behind them. The wind
was back to 40 knots and the wave rose high. By the morning of January 5, the situation
became again desperate. The narrator and Mary sat together holding hands in the evening.
Both of them felt that the end was very near.

Q13. How and when did Wavewalker ride out the storm? How did the narrator feel at that
time?
Ans. By the morning of January 6, the wind eased. The narrator was back in the chart room
and read on the sextant. They were somewhere in 1, 05,000 kilometres of ocean searching
for a 65 kilometre-wide island. At about 2 pm he went on deck. He asked Larry to steer a
course of 185 degrees. If they were lucky, they could expect to see the island at about 5 pm.
Then with a heavy heart, he went below and dozed off. When he woke up at 6 pm, he knew
they must have missed the island.

Q14. Why did Jonathan ask for a hug and called him the best daddy and the best captain in
the world?
Ans. The children were excited. They saw the island before the narrator. Jonathan asked if
he could have a hug. The narrator was surprised. His son declared that he was “the best
daddy in the whole world and the best captain”. The narrator replied: “Not today”.
Suddenly, the children shouted that the island was in front of them and it was as big as a
battleship.

Q15. Describe Ile Amsterdam. How did its inhabitants behave with the
newcomers?
Ans. When the narrator rushed on the deck he was relieved to see the outline of lle
Amsterdam. It was a French base. It was ‘a black piece of volcanic rock’. It had little
vegetation but still it appeared to be ‘the most beautiful island in the world’. They anchored
off shore for the night. The next morning all 28 inhabitants of the island cheered them and
helped them ashore.
Q16. What did the narrator think of on landing at Ile Amsterdam? Why?
Ans. On landing at Ile Amsterdam, the narrator’s thoughts were full of Larry and Herbie, his
crew members who remained cheerful and optimistic throughout the hardships. He thought
of his wife also, who stayed at the wheel for all those crucial hours? He also thought of his
daughter, who hadbeen so brave all through the ordeal and had not bothered about her
head injury.

Q17. How can you say that Suzanne’s injuries were serious?
Ans. Suzanne’s injuries were serious because she had to undergo six minor surgeries to
remove a recurring blood clot between her skin and skull. She had also injured her arm and
had two black eyes.

Q18. Justify the title: “We’re Not Afraid to die …”

Ans. The lesson is aptly and logically titled: “We’re Not Afraid to Die …” These were the
words of Jonathan, the son of the narrator. Like his brave father, Jon declared that they
were not afraid to die if they could be all together—Daddy and Mummy and Sue and he.
These words sum up the courage shown by the narrator, his wife and children and, of
course, the crewmen.

Q19. “We’re Not Afraid to Die” is a saga of patience and bravery. Comment.
Ans. “We’re Not Afraid to Die” is the story of rare courage and perseverance of the
narrator’s family. It comprised his wife and children, with the crewmen. All the dangers and
disasters were confronted with patience, courage and determination. Never did anybody
shake or waver even for a second. Even the children showed an exemplary courage. They
were not afraid to die. They were ready to die with their daddy and mummy together.

Q20. “Optimism and courage help to tide over difficulties”. How did the narrator succeed in
searching the small island?
Ans. Despite the lost compass and a faulty compass, the author did not lose hope. He used
his intelligence to estimate the influence of the westerly currents which flowed through
that part of the Ocean. He asked Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees and remained
optimistic about spotting the island at about 5 pm.

Q21. Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions in

spite of the risks involved?
Ans. People undertake such adventurous expeditions due to two reasons. They have the
passionate thrive for risk, thrill and uncertainty and they push their limits of skill and
endurance. They seek such adventures for pure joy and exhilaration. They also want to do
certain things for attaining name, fame and recognition.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Describe in brief how the voyage began in July 1976 from Plymouth, England and ended
at a small island Isle Amsterdam in the South Indian Ocean.
Ans. The narrator wanted ‘to duplicate’ the round-the-world voyage made 200 years earlier
by Captain James Cook. For the past 16 years they had been making preparations. They got
a boat professionally built for this purpose. It was a 23 metre, 30 tonne wooden hulled
boat. It had been tested for months in the roughest weather. The first leg of their 1, 05,000
kilometre journey passed pleasantly. They sailed down the west coast of Africa to Cape
Town. Their troubles started on the second day out of Cape Town. They encountered
strong gales. Waves rose as high as their main mast. The boat was slowed down. The storm
jib was dropped. Heavy ropes were looped across the stern. Lifelines were attached, oilskins
and life jackets were donned. Wavewalker was near capsizing. Sue got a big bump over her
eyes. The narrator was tossed over the deck. His left ribs cracked and teeth were broken. By
morning on January 3, Larry and Herb brought the water level sufficiently under control.
On January 4, they received some respite. The situation was again quite grim. Jon asked if
they were going to die. They were not afraid of dying if they could all die together. But by
the morning of 6 January, Wavewalker rode out (of) the storm. lle Amsterdam was just in
front of them. The next day all 28 inhabitants cheered and helped them ashore.

Q2. Describe the steps taken by the captain and the crewmen to protect the boat from the
storm and the gigantic waves. Were they successful?
Ans. Just on the second day when they left Cape Town, Wavewalker began to face all kinds
of troubles. Strong gales lashed it for the next few weeks. The size of the waves was really
alarming. They went up as high as the main mast. The captain took immediate steps to save
the boat. The boat was sloweddown. The storm jib was dropped. Heavy mooring ropes
were lashed across the stern. Lifelines were attached. Oilskins and life-jackets were donned.
A tremendous explosion shook the deck. A torrent of green and white water broke over the
ship. Wavewalker was near capsizing. Her masts had fallen flat. Waves tossed him around
the deck like a rag doll. Larry and Herb continued pumping water out like madmen.
Waterproof covers across the open holes were covered. Most of the water was now being
thrown over the sides. All the urgent steps were taken. Fortunately, they proved quite
effective. By the morning of January 6, the wind eased. Wavewalker rode out storm. But
still it couldn’t hold for long to reach Australia. Hence, the search for islands began. In the
end, Wavewalker had a cheerful landing at lle Amsterdam.

Q3. Describe the behaviour of the narrator and his family, particularly of
 his children Jon and Sue, during the voyage.
Ans. The narrator, his wife and children, set sail from Plymouth, England with great hope,
excitement and determination. The narrator was a 37-year-oldbusinessman. He had dreamt
of duplicating the round-the-world voyagemade 200 years ago by Captain James Cook. He
had worked hard insharpening his seafaring skills in British waters. The first leg of their
journeypassed pleasantly. Their troubles started when they moved out of Cape Town.
But even hostile weather couldn’t dampen their spirits. Though the weatherchanged for the
worse on the New Year’s Day, they all participated in itscelebrations.
The captain really showed his heroic qualities. He was thrown overboard and sinking below
the waves. He didn’t panic. His left ribs cracked. His mouth was filled with blood and broken
teeth. Somehow, he found the wheel and hung on. Even the behaviour of the crewmen
Larry and Herb was quite praiseworthy. They continued pumping water out like madmen.
The narrator’s wife Mary didn’t panic either. She only cried “We’re sinking”. Jonathan and
Sue proved that they were the children of brave and adventurous parents. Jon declared that
they were “not afraid of dying if they could all die together”. The children were really
excited when they saw the lle Amsterdam. Now the narrator was not an ordinary father. He
was “the best daddy in the whole world—and the best captain”.

Q4. What do you think of the narrator as a captain? How did the crew and the family
members show courage during distress?
Ans. This is a story of human endurance, selflessness and courage in the face of adversity.
Traditionally, the captain of the ship must go down with it andattempt only to save the
passengers. However, in this story, we see othertraits in the narrator which make him a
good captain.
The narrator was able to think rationally, prioritize and recall important information under
distress. He was able to recall the backup electric pump, waterproofed the ship and
performed repairs as required, identified nearestland/port and performed intense
calculations despite the lack of proper equipment, did not convey his fears to his crew and
presented a confident face throughout enhancing the morale of his team. The narrator’s
family and crew showed unconditional team spirit during adversity. His wife helped with the
navigation of the ship while his children offered moral support. The crew members Larry
and Herb worked tirelessly and did not abandon ship. Despite their young years, Jonathan
and Suzanne showed courage andoptimistic fervour. Suzanne did not bother her parents
with her injuries nomatter how extensive they were. She also made a card for her parents
to show her love and gratitude. Jonathan claimed he was not afraid even to die if
he were with his family.

1. What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults and the children when
faced with adverse weather?
 Both adults and children in the narrative exhibit different traits of behaviour on the face of
near death. The captain faced the gales and the gigantic waves as one faces death. When he
was thrown out of the ship, when he saw the ship almost riding over the crest or when he
saw the underground cabin full of water, he took it for a near drowning. When Mary was
asked to take the steering wheel, she felt like steering a doomed vessel without much hope
of steering it to safety. The two other crewmen, Larry and Herb, they were pumping water
like madmen. It is not very easy to say what amount of hope they had at that time but all
one can assert is that they too had hopes to survive for. On the other hand, the two children
exhibited more optimism than their elders. Jonathan saying that he and his sister were not
afraid to die if they were to die together is an expression of love and unity even in death.
For Suzanne, confronting with death with her dear ones was like being funny.

2. How does the narrative suggest that optimism helps to endure the direst stress?
The narrative presents a group of voyagers who shared something remarkably common –
optimism. Their ship was capsizing or going into pieces, in front of them the sea was as high
as the sky, every next second another gush of water was pouring in through the ship’s
bashed side yet they smiled, yet they consoled each other and yet they thought of reaching
ashore safely. Sue’s making a card with a caption was heroism. Jonathan’s title words that
he was not afraid of death if they could all die together was not a call to embark death but a
call to fight it. Larry and Herb were pumping like madmen and that suggests they were least
affected by the thought of giving in. Mary’s staying behind the steering wheel for forty four
long hours and the narrator’s untiring efforts to repair the ship were both ignited by hope
and strong will power.

3. What lessons do we learn from such hazardous experiences as facing death in close angle?
It has been said that people often fail to choose one of the endless possibilities between
danger and death. Between an accident and death, between an illness and death, between
struggle and death, there are numerous ways out – death is not the first. Faced with
adversities in life, one should not think that the end is near and days are counted. It is
struggle that is needed. One should fight back till the last moment because victory is met in
the last moment. People who are not optimistic take the first bus to death because they are
too lazy to fight back.

4. Why do people embark to adventurous expeditions that can almost kill them en-masse?
Adventure is the life-style of people who are not done with defeat. Fear and the joy of
defeating the fear are part of human civilizations across the planet but jumping headlong
into risky situation is a level ahead. Adventure begins where fear vanishes. Like people who
enjoy solitude, people who enjoy society, people who enjoy creative works, an adventurer
loves risks and the satisfaction of overcoming them. It is possible that the greatest fear of
the adventurer is the fear of not having risks and dangers to overcome.

1. Notice these expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the context.

1.honing our seafaring skills: this refers to the efforts made by the author and his wife, to
perfect or sharpen their seafaring skills.
2.ominous silence: the silence here refers to an impending danger.
3.Mayday calls: Mayday calls are radio-telephonic words which signal aircrafts or ships stuck
in a disastrous situation.
4.pinpricks in the vast ocean: this phrase expresses the search for two small islands in the
vast ocean.
5.a tousled head: this refers to hair in disarray or the disarranged hair of the author’s son,
Jonathan

Page No: 18
Understanding the Text
1. List the steps taken by the captain
(i) to protect the ship when rough weather began.
(ii) to check the flooding of the water in the ship.
(i) In order to protect the ship from rough weather, the capitan decided to slow it down. So
he dropped the storm jib and lashed heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stern. Then
they doubled fastened everything and went through their life-raft drill
(ii) To check the flooding of water in the ship, he put waterproof hatch covers across the
gaping holes which diverted the water to the side. When the two hands pump blocked and
electric pump short circuited, he found another electric pump, connected it to an outpipe
and started it.

2. Describe the mental condition of the voyagers on 4 and 5 January.

On January 4 and 5, the voyagers felt relieved after rigorous practice of continuous
pumping. They had their first meal in almost two days. Their respite was short-lived. They
faced dangerous situation on January 5. Fear of deah loomed large. They were under great
mental stress.

3. Describe the shifts in the narration of the events as indicated in the three sections of the
text. Give a subtitle to each section.
The first section: The first section opens on a cheerful note.The narrator and his family are
all set for their ultimate dream to take up an around-the-world voyage like Captain James
Cook did. They have perfected their seafaring skills. They begin the voyage and despite of
the bad weather, they celebrate Christmas on the ‘Wavewalker’.
The second section: This part of narration covers the hazards faced by the voyagers. There
is a shift in the narration from cheerful to intense. They find themselves in an extremely
fatal and disastrous situation. A huge wave hits their boat and the narrator is thrown
overboard. Despite getting injured, he
maintains his composure and applies every possible way to tackle the critical situation. They
manage to pump out maximum amount of water out of the boat in about 36 hours. But as
they continue to face bad weather conditions the narrator loses hope. The children remain
fearless, courageous and optimistic throughout.
The third section: The children provide moral support to the narrator and he continues with
his efforts. Under the captaincy of the narrator, they manage to reach Ile Amsterdam. The
narrator proves his seamanship and receives the title of “the best daddy” and “the best
captain” from his children.

The above three sections can be subtitled as follows:

a) The first section: Round-the-world voyage begins
b) The second section: The attack of the big wave
c) The third section: Ultimate victory
Talking about the Text
1. What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults and the children when
faced with danger?
There was lot of difference between the way in which the adults and children reacted when
faced danger. The adults lose hope and wait for their end with a heavy heart. At this point,
they are motivated by the children. The children offer moral support to the adults. They
display maturity and tolerance. Jonathan expresses his fearlessness and courage when he
says that they are not afraid of dying if they all can be together. Sue expresses her love and
gratitude for her parents by making a greeting card. She is strong enough to not let her
parents know about her serious injuries. She did not want to bother her parents in the
times of crisis.

2. How does the story suggest that optimism helps to endure “the direst stress”?
Optimism is a determination to overcome difficulties. It raises one’s spirits and helps one
overcome stress and difficulty with ease. The story displays courage and optimism
throughout. Survival happens only because of the optimistic struggle that the family carries
on with. The level of perseverance in the author rises when Jonathan says, “we’re not afraid
of dying if we can all be together. Besides, the caricatures of him and Mary, drawn by Sue,
helps his determination and optimism to grow many folds. The positive outlook of the
children infuses positivity in the narrator. He rigorously calculates their position and finally
asks Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees. Though he had lost all hope by then, he did not
show it and optimistically told Larry that they would spot the island by about 5 P.M.
Fortunately, their struggleand optimism pays off and they manage to find Ile Amsterdam by
evening.

3. What lessons do we learn from such hazardous experiences when we are face-to-face
with death?
Such experiences teach us the potential that courage, perseverance and tolerance hold. It
explains how one must react in the direst of the situations. It teaches us that one must
never lose hope and try to find reasons to stay positive in the face of adversity. In such
situations one must try his/her best
to remain calm and composed and understand the power of unity and team work.
Moreover, the importance of common sense, putting continuous efforts to overcome the
catastrophe and the significance of being extra cautious and careful are learnt from such
hazardous experiences.

4. Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions in spite of the risk
involved?
The spirit to experience unique elements of nature, undaunted passion and willingness to
accept challenges drive people to take up adventurous expeditions. The people who involve
themselves in such activities are very well aware of the risk involved in them. But due to
their passion and enthusiasm to do something unique and great, they willingly accept such
challenges. Also, their desire to be in the lap of nature and experience its beauty pushes
them to such expeditions.