Evergreen Public School

Class XI, Subject English

General instructions:
1) Read the chapter and the synopsis
2) Separate instructions have been given after each set of questions, follow them before
attempting

“ WE’RE NOT AFRAID TO DIE IF WE CAN ALL BE TOGETHER”

Synopsis:

I)Narrator’s round the world sea voyage

-starts in July 1976 from Plymouth, England
- also includes his wife, Mary, son Jonathan & daughter Suzanne
-he wanted to replicate the round the world voyage of Captain James Cook
-for 16 yrs, had spent all leisure time perfecting sea faring skills
- their boat ‘Wavewalker’ was professionally built & tested in the roughest weather
-narrator hoped to complete the journey within 3 years

II) 1st phase of the journey

-was pleasant, sailed to west coast of Africa to Cape Town
- before moving eastwards took two crewmen – Larry Vigil & Herb Seigler – to help tackle the
rough Southern Indian Ocean

III) The harsh weather conditions

- strong wind & extremely high waves
- unfavourable weather continued till new year

IV) Measures taken to protect the ship & crew from the storm on 2nd Jan
-dropped the storm jib to slow the boat
-tied a rope across the stern of the ship
-double fastened everything on boat
-had life-raft drill (practised using rafts in emergencies)
-Attached lifelines to tie themselves to the boat
-wore oilskins & life jackets

V) Indications of the disaster

-an ominous silence (suggesting an unpleasant event)
-the wind dropped & sky darkened

VI) The storm

-A huge wave that appeared like a clod struck the ship with great force
- narrator’s head smashed the wheel, he was thrown into sea & believed he would die
-he could see the boat almost capsizing(overturning),mast had become horizontal to the waves
- another wave struck the ship, it became upright & the narrator was pulled to the boat
-he was tossed like a rag doll, left ribs cracked & some teeth were broken

VII) The damages suffered & the response of the narrator & the crew
-he took control of the wheel, later asked his wife to manage the wheel while he examined the
damages suffered
-Larry & Herb were pumping out the water that flooded the boat
-the starboard side had been damaged & there were large holes
-many objects- clothes, crockery charts had been thrown into the sea
- narrator realized the damaged starboard side had to be covered or more water would enter & the boat
would sink
-the holes were covered with canvas & hatch covers
-hand pumps got blocked due to the floating debris, electric pump short-circuited, the spare hand
pumps had been thrown into the water
-fortunately the narrator found an electric pump & it was used to pumo out the water
- they tried to work on the radio, give Mayday calls but didn’t get any response
-Sue’s head had swollen, she had black eyes &a deep cut in her arm

VIII) The conditions on 3rd Jan

-water level was under control- they could rest for 2 hrs
-narrator found the boat had been damaged severely
-they couldn’t reach Australia in such a state
-narrator found out they could try to reach Ile Amsterdam, an island used as a French scientific base
-he was also aware the chances were very low as the islands were too tiny compared to the vast ocean

IX) The developments on 4th Jan

- felt relieved -they had been pumping out water for 36 hrs & it had greatly reduced
-used storm jib instead of the sail otherwise the boat would be damaged due to pressure
-managed to have a meal in two days
- however in the evening, black clouds gathered , strong winds blew & waves rose high

X) The events of 5th & 6th Jan

-conditions had worsened
-Jon bravely told the narrator he is not afraid to die if they can all be together
-narrator felt more determined- to protect the damaged starboard side he used the hull to face the
waves by using a temporary anchor made of heavy rope & 2 barrels of paraffin
-by morning the weather had improved & the narrator tried to determine their position
- Sue had made a card drawing their caricatures, thanking them & hoping for the best

XI) The final effort

- narrator directed Larry to steer the ship towards the island after checking his calculations
- in the evening he was informed that they had finally reached the island
-he is praised as the best daddy & the best captain
- the island had little vegetation & 28 inhabitants
-narrator & the crew were thus saved
- narrator remembered the contributions of each member in making it a success.

A) Complete all the textual questions

B) Write the answers of the following questions in about 30-40 words:
1) What preparations did the narrator make for the round the world sea voyage?
2) When and with whom did the narrator begin the voyage? Who were the two crewmen he employed
and why?
3) What were the indications that moments later the ship would be caught in a deadly storm?
4) Describe how the narrator suffered when the storm struck the ship?
5) Why do you think the narrator searched for the island so desperately?

C) Attempt the following in about 120 words each:

1) What efforts did the narrator make to save the ship and its crew?
2) What impression do you form of the narrator on the basis of this lesson?