Near Death on the High Seas: True Stories of Disaster and Survival

by Cecil Kuhne

Book Overview

"The wind was blowing at hurricane strength-sixty-five knots and over-and increasing in the gusts to eighty knots. His boat was surfing on waves as high as a sixty-foot, six-storey building. . .Each... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307279340
• ISBN13: 9780307279347
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Near Death on the High Seas

The sense of adventure is one facet of humanity, and while some choose to ignore it, others indulge in it: dabbling with the dangerous, playing with the portentous, and facing their fears. Near Death on the High Seas is a collection of real life stories about people who strive for thrill and adventure, through the medium they love: a boat and the open sea. The book opens with an inspiring Foreword from the late William F. Buckley Jr.. Then the first story begins simply about a man and his boa...more The sense of adventure is one facet of humanity, and while some choose to ignore it, others indulge in it: dabbling with the dangerous, playing with the portentous, and facing their fears. Near Death on the High Seas is a collection of real life stories about people who strive for thrill and adventure, through the medium they love: a boat and the open sea. The book opens with an inspiring Foreword from the late William F. Buckley Jr.. Then the first story begins simply about a man and his boat. Having traveled the seas many times over, he is a skilled seamen but on this particular day a storm will give him a run for his money and leave his beloved boat in pieces, while he barely escapes with his life. The stories are provocative, descriptive, and well-written. The important thing to remember is that each of them actually happened. While at times they seem similar, these are real lives lived close to the edge. In some cases not all survive - real people have sadly died in catastrophic events. Near Death on the High Seas also includes memorable and renowned high seas stories from Thor Heyerdahl on his Kon-Tiki journey to the Polynesian islands, as well as Sir Francis Chichester circling the globe on his Gipsy Moth. Near Death on the High Seas is a book that will take you across the icy cold seas of the world, through torrential storms and typhoons, daring the horrors of the deeps; all from the comfort of home. And remember that while these are well written accounts of daring and destruction, they are also about real people who faced real dangers for the thrill of being on the open water in a boat. For more reviews, and writings, or to buy yourself a copy, please visit www.alexctelander.com

Experiences of 12 adventurers

Near Death on the High Seas is a compilation of condensed experiences from twelve different events that have taken place over the last fifty years. From Thor Heyerdahl and "Kon-Tiki" sailing across the Pacific in a reed raft to the modern, highly sophisticated craft the endured force 12 winds only ten years ago in the annual Sidney to Hobart race that nearly wiped out the entire fleet. We have all heard of the hardships and trials that men and women have related to the world about the various competitions and exploits that modern sailors have endured while sailing the world's oceans. You already know that sailing on the world's oceans is a dangerous business. These stories are told by the men and women that experienced them. You hear of the bone-chilling cold while sailing at 40 degrees south in seas that can reach the height of a six-story building. You will stand beside sailors as they turn into the wind and backtrack along a compass bearing to rescue fellow sailors whose craft have succumbed to the whim of a rogue wave and have stepped off into a life raft with no hope of rescue before they freeze to death. Cecil Kuhne has the easy job here. All had to do was edit these fantastic stories into a wonderful book. The people that narrate these accounts actually lived through them! Armchair Interviews says: For anyone that has pondered sailing solo across the sea, this is a must read.