We’re not afraid to die….

1. What preparations did the author and his wife make for their round-the-world sea
voyage?
The author and his wife had been honing their seafaring skills in British water for the last
16 years. Their boat, Wavewalker, a 23 meter, 30 ton, wooden-hulled beauty had been
professionally built, and they had spent months fitting it out and testing it in the
roughest weather they could find.
2. How did the first leg of their journey pass and when and where did they sense the first
sign of the disaster?
The first leg of their voyage, 105,000 km journey passed pleasantly as they sailed down
the west coast of Africa to Cape Town, they began to encounter strong gales. The size of
the waves was alarming up to 15 meters as high as their main mast.
3. What precaution did they take to save themselves?
To slow the boat down, they dropped the storm jib and lashed a heavy mooring rope in
a loop across the stern. Then they double-lashed everything. Went through their life raft
drill, attached lifelines, donned oilskins and life jackets.
4. How was the author affected?
A torrent of green and white water broke over the ship, his head smashed into the
wheel and he was aware of his flying over board and sinking below the waves. He
accepted his approaching death and as he was losing his consciousness, he felt quite
peaceful. Unexpectedly his head popped out of the water. A few meters away,
Wavewalker was near capsizing. Her masts, almost horizontal. Then a wave hurled her
upright. His lifeline jerked taut and he grabbed the guard rails. Subsequent waves tossed
him around the deck like a rag doll. His left ribs cracked, his mouth filled with blood and
broken teeth.
5. What problem did the hand pumps cause?
Suddenly, their hand pumps started to block up with the debris floating around the
cabins. The electric pump short-circuited. The water level rose threateningly. Back on
deck, he found that their two spare hand pumps had been wrenched over-board along
with the forestay sail, the jib, the dinghies and the main anchor.
6. Even after surviving for 15 hours after the disaster stuck, the voyagers were doubtful
whether they would be able to reach their destination. What was their only hope?
The voyagers had survived for 15 hours since the wave hit but Wavewalker wouldn’t
hold together long enough for them to reach Australia. After checking the charts, they
calculated that there were two small islands a few hundred kilometers to the east. One
of them was Ile Amsterdam, a French scientific base. Their only hope was to reach the
island if the wind and sea supported.
7. How did the children respond when the captain went into the cabin to comfort them?
 The children expressed their apprehension about their survival when he entered the
cabin. But even at their death point, courage and conviction did not fade, Jonathan said
that they were not afraid to die if they can all be together.
8. ‘Sue was a brave girl’. Give evidences from the story in support of this statement.
We come to know that Sue was a brave girl when she was badly hurt, she did not want
to worry her parents. She had enormous black eyes, bumped head but did not want to
distract her father from rescue operation. She even made a greeting card to express her
thanks and hoped for the best. Her bravery toughened her father and resolved him to
fight against the danger.
9. Why was the plan to reach Australia changed?
The plan to reach Australia was changed because of the storm which badly damaged the
Wavewalker. In such a condition the ship could no more make it. So, they searched for a
small island named Ile Amsterdam.
10. How did Sue and the author describe Ile Amsterdam?
The island was only a bleak piece of volcanic rock with little vegetation but for the
author and his family, it was the most beautiful island in the world because it was their
only hope to survive. They had managed to spot it and now they were relieved because
they could get some help.