Total Loss: A Collection of 45 First-Hand Accounts of Yacht Losses at Sea with a Summary of the Lessons to Be Learned

by Jack Coote

Total Loss is an anthology of selected accounts by some 40 people who have survived the loss of a yacht at sea. The stories are grouped under the principle causes of loss and each is followed by an... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1574091468
• ISBN13: 9781574091465
• Release Date: August 1998
• Publisher: Sheridan House
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A Mixed Bag of Sea Stories

Jack Coote's "Total Loss: A Collection of 45 First-Hand Accounts of Yacht Losses at Sea" is a compendium of short (2-8 pages) accounts of yacht losses, and each story is followed by a short "Lessons Learned." The stories are a mix of losses in storms, losses due to navigational errors, explosions/fires, and other disasters. Because they were written by participants, the stories are of uneven quality - some are excellent and gripping, others dry and forgettable. Because the stories are so short, none are epic sagas of struggle and survival on the high seas. Also, some photographs/illustrations would have helped bring the boats and people to life and added depth to the book, especially because some readers may not be familiar with all the different types of sailboats in this book. The "Lessons Learned" from each experience are likewise of uneven quality - some draw important and note-worthy lessons that all sailors should heed, while others simply restate and quote what the reader read just a page or two earlier. One lesson that I learned is never to sail with the couple who had two (!) accounts of yacht losses in this book! This is a good read for anyone interested in sailing and a must read for anyone serious about sailing.

MUST READ, but BEWARE

This book badly needs to be edited by a marine expert. It could also be improved by publishing some statistics on how many such sinkings occur so how likely are some of the events. Conclusions are from the skippers involved. This leads to errors and even deliberate misinformation. The story of "Strumpet" is the worst; a father and two young boys spend the night on a yacht. The two boys have a kerosene lamp for light in the forward berth. The boys are called to breakfast and then the boat sets out, and soon the interior is engulfed in flame and smoke. The skipper's explanation is that the boys put out the lamp, but supposedly the residual heat of the glass set the sleeping bags on fire and the fiberglass ignited with miraculous speed. Finally the guy states that he will never go cruising in a fiberglass yacht again! You tell me: Do you think the residual heat of glass ignited the sleeping bags--or do you think maybe two young boys forgot to put out the lamp before coming down to bacon and egg? Here's a clue: The first words out of the submitter's mouth in the conclusion are "Naturally the insurance company required a full explanation." Obviously they got a doozey. Other stories also have questionable conclusions. One yacht's sinking is blamed on an off center companionway. Then it is noted that the ballast shifted in the yacht, causing her to list over far enough on the same side to allow water in. OK, the cause of this yacht's sinking is the shifting ballast, the companionway location was NOT the cause of the sinking. If your yacht has an off center companionway, don't worry, it's OK. There are some REALLY GOOD STORIES! The story about the poorly maintained propane system leading to an explosion at dock that lost one sailor his leg should be read by EVERYONE. This stuff is just plain dangerous. In conclusion, you should get this book and read it because it demonstrates why you need to have an EPIRB, life raft, abandon ship bag, and be ready to use them at any time. Stuff can happen that you have no control over. But be warned that the conclusions are not from experts and may be incorrect or misleading in some cases. Get the book.

Fear and fun

This book has it all! There is a high portion of learning by mistakes of other skippers. Most of them were very experienced, but that did not made them invulnerable. Coote and Gelder are clear in their analysis: it can happen to us all. The only way to be sure is to stay at home, reading in front of your fireplace. If you choose for that option, you will have nice thrills reading "Total Loss". Warning: Do not put this book on your bedside table! It will certainly keep you awake...

excellent, important, entertaining, and instructive book of disasters

i've probably read `total loss' 5 times now, it is an extremely hard book to put down and every year or so i find myself gravitating back to it again; for the armchair sailor these quick 45 stories are very entertaining and for the real sailor they are hugely, hugely instructive. for anyone who sails more than 4 hours from port, on a boat of any size, from dinghy to open 60, i believe the book is simply a top 10 "must read" for a really comprehensive anecdotal understanding of accidents and how they happen. each story is from a different, first person author, ranging over much of the 20th century, yet the book somehow achieves a coherent and very readable tone that other sailing compendiums regrettably lack. another, very similar, also excellent book is Joachim Shult's "mayday." enjoy, and leave a clean wake!

All Hands Abandon Ship!

Forty-five fascinating accounts of every sailor's worst nightmare. Whether you own a sailboat, or just go sailing regularly, buy this book! Even if you don't sail, it is still a morbidly interesting read. Aside from hair-raisingly gruesome tales of sailboat shipwrecks (both protracted week long foundering, and instantaneous and catastrophic crashes are covered), the book also analyzes what went wrong in each case. These analyses may avert some future disasters, and probably have prevented many already. None of the stories involve deaths, only some injuries, but still should please even the most voyeuristic reader's desire to vicariously experience carnage at sea.