Question 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
Answer:
(i) The author, the captain of the ship and his family started an
adventurous voyage by sea on their boat ‘Wavewalker’ in July 1976 from
Plymouth, England. The first phase of their planned three-year, 105,000
kilometre journey passed pleasantly. They began to encounter strong gales when
they were on their second day out of Cape Town. The captain was aware of the
rough weather ahead. That is why he had taken the services of Larry Vigil, an
American and Herb Seigler, a Swiss. He did so to tackle the world’s roughest
sea, the southern India Ocean
The strong winds blew continuously for the next few weeks. The size of
the waves was alarming, which was upto 15 metres as high as their boat’s main
mast was. They were 3500 kilometres east of Cape Town on 25th December. Though
the weather was extremely bad, yet they celebrated Christmas. iW waves became
gigantic at dawn on January 2. They were sailing with only a small storm jib
and were still making eight knots
To protect the ship from rough weather, the captain decided to slow
the boat down. To do so, they dropped the storm jib and lashed heavy mooring
rope in a loop across the stem. In order to protect themselves further, he got
double-lashed everything. Then they went through their lift-raft drill,
attached lifeliness, donned oilskins and life jackets. This is how the captain
tried to protect the ship when rough weather began
(ii) The author, the captain, his wife Mary, his six-year-old son
Jonathan and his seven-year-old daughter Suzanne started their round-the-world
sea voyage by their boat Wavewalker. They had planned their journey for three
years and were supposed to cover 105,000 kilometres. They started their long
journey in July 1976 from Plymouth, England.
They reached Cape Town safely. But just on their second day out of
Cape Town, they had to encounter strong gales, which blew continuously for the
next few weeks. At dawn on January 2, the waves were extraordinarily large and
high. At about 6 p.m. there appeared a wave, perfectly vertical and almost
twice the height of other waves. Then a tremendous explosion shook the deck. A
strong fast stream of green and white water broke over the ship. The head of
the captain smashed into the wheel and he was aware of flying overboard and
sinking below the waves.
Then unexpectedly, the author’s head came out of the water. He saw
Wavewalker nearly overturning. But a wave hurled her upright. He grabbed the
guard rails and sailed through the air into Wavewalker’s main boom. His left
ribs were cracked and his mouth was filled with blood and broken teeth.
Somehow, he found the wheel, lined up the stem for the next wave and hung on.
There was water everywhere. His wife Mary told him that the decks were
smashed and they were full of water. He asked her to take the wheel. Through
hatch he went down and found that Larry and Herbs were pumping fastly and
continuously. After finding a hammer, screws and canvas, the captain struggled
back on deck. With the starboard side bashed open, they were taking water with
each wave that broke over them.
Somehow the captain managed to stretch canvas and secure waterproof
hatch covers across the gaping holes. Some water continued to stream below, but
most of it was now being deflected over the side. The hand pumps had started
blocking and the electric pump was short circuited. Then the captain connected
another electric pump to an out-pipe and it started working. They had been
continuously pumping. He also hoisted the storm jib.
Question 2.
Describe the mental condition of the voyagers on 4 and 5 January.
Answer:
The author and his family started their adventurous sea voyage on
their boat Wavewalker m July 1976 from Plymouth, England. The first phase of
their planned three- year, 105,000 kilometre journey passed pleasantly. However
they began to encounter strong gales when they were on their second day out of
Cape Town.
They faced the alarmingly high, sea waves, which broke over the ship,
injuring him and his daughter Sue. A part of their ship had damaged and a lot
of water had entered the ship. The author repaired the ship as far as he could
do. But still they were deeply disturbed about their uncertain fate
On January 4, after 36 hours of continuous pumping, they reached the
last few centimetres of water. Now they had only to keep pace with the water
still coming in. The voyagers were tired, hungry and struggling hard to
survive. Mary found some corned beef and cracker biscuits and they had their
first meal in almost two days. But their respite was for a short time only. At
4 p.m. black clouds began building up behind them. The weather continued to
deteriorate throughout the night. They were probably aware of their approaching
death.
On January 5, their situation was again desperate. Even the children
were aware of their approaching death. But the children too showed exemplary
courage. The author’s son told his daddy that they were not afraid of death if
they could all be together his daddy and mummy and Sue and Jonathan.
The author was so moved with these words that he was determined to
fight the sea with whatsover he had. The author and his wife sat together that
evening holding hands, as the motion of the ship brought more water in through
the broken planks. They both felt that their end was approaching very near.
Thus their mental condition was quite positive despite the danger of death they
were facing.
Question 3.
Describe the shifts in the narration of the events as indicated in the
three sections of the text. Give a suitable to each section.
Answer:
The first section of the text describes how the author and his family
set sail from Plymouth England in July 1976 on their boat Wavewalker. They had
spent months fitting their boat and testing it in the roughest weather. The
first phase of their planned three- year, 105,000 kilometre journey passed
pleasantly as they sailed down the west coast of ‘ Africa to Cape Town. But on
their second day out of Cape Town, they began to encounter strong gales, which
blew continuously for the next few weeks. The size of the waves was alarming.
At dawn on January 2, the waves were gigantic.
At 6 p.m. an exceptionally high wave hit the ship and a tremendous
explosion shook the deck. A torrent of green and white water broke over the
ship. The author’s had smashed into the wheel, he flew overboard and sank below
the waves. But unexpectedly his head popped out of the water. A few metres
away, he saw Wavewalker nearly capsizing. But a wave hurled her up right. There
was water everywhere.
He asked his wife Mary to take the wheel. When he went to the
children’s cabin, he found that his daughter Sue’s head was hurt and there was
a big bump above her eyes. The author repaired the ship as far as he could do.
A lot of water had entered due to which they had been pumping continuously.
Their Mayday calls got no replies
The second section is about their search for an island. By morning on
January 3, the water level was sufficiently under control. So they took two
hours’ rest in rotation. But still there was a tremendous leak somewhere below
the waterline. A whole section of the started board hull was damaged and there
was nothing holding it up. They had survived for 15 hours since the wave hit.
But Wavewalker would not hold together long enough to reach Australia. So, the
author was looking for the nearest island.
On checking the charts, the author calculated that there were two
small island a few hundred kilometres to the east. Their only hope was to reach
one of them. One of them lie Amsterdam was a French scientific base. On January
4, after 36 hours of continuous pumping, they reached the last few centimetres
of water. Now, they had only to keep pace with the water still coming in. Mary
found some corned beef and cracker biscuits, and they ate their first meal in
almost two days. But at 4 p.m. black clouds began building up behind them. The
weather continued to deteriorate throughout the night. By dawn on January 5,
their situation was again desperate.
When he went to comfort the children, his son Jon said, I “But, daddy,
we aren’t afraid of dying if we can all be together you mid Mummy, Sue and I.”
That evening Mary and the author sat together holding hands. They both felt
that the end was near. But Wavewalker rode out of the storm and by the morning
of January 6, with the wind easing, he tried to get a reading on the sextant.
He came to know that they were somewhere in 150,000 kilometres of ocean looking
for a 65 kilometre wide island.
The third section is about their cheerful landing on lie Amsterdam.
The author had checked and rechecked his calculations. About 2 p.m., he went on
deck and asked Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees. He told Larry that he
could see the island at about 5 p.m. Then he went below, climbed on his bunk
and dozed off. He woke up at 6 p.m. Then he was informed by his children that
he had found the island. They anchored offshore for the night. Next morning all
28 inhabitants of the island of lie Amsterdam cheered as they helped them
ashore.
Talking About The Text
Discuss the following questions with your partner :
Question 1.
What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults and
the children when faced with danger?
Answer:
The author, his wife Mary, his six-year-old son Jonathan and his
seven-year-old daughter Suzanne set sail from Plymouth, England for a
round-the-world voyage by sea. They started their long journey by their boat
Wavewalker in July 1976. Their journey upto Cape Town was quite pleasant.
Before heading east they took the services of Larry Vigil and Herb Seigler.
Thus there were four adults and two children on Wavewalker when they faced the
danger of death. A section of their ship was damaged and a lot of water had
entered the ship
The reaction of the adults when faced with disaster and danger was
that of ‘horror’ when the author saw a wave like no other he had ever seen.
When his head smashed into the wheel and he was flying overboard and sinking
below the waves, he “accepted” his “approaching death.” When his wife Mary came
to him, she “Screamed” and said, “We’re sinking!” Larry and Herb were pumping
“Like madmen.” But the children seemed to be more calm and less panicky. When
the author entered their cabin they said that they were all right. Sue said
that her head hurt a bit, when her condition was much more critical than that.
Later on, when the author found her head swollen alarmingly and she
had a deep cut on her arm, the author asked her why she had not made more of
her injuries before. Then the brave seven-year-old girl replied, “I didn’t want
to worry you when you were trying to save us all.” januuary 5, the situation
became again desperate.
Then the author went into com.., ‘ a children. His six year old son
Jonathan said courageously, ‘We aren’t afraid of dying all be together you and
Mummy, Sue and I.” That evening the author and his wife sat together holding hands, as the motion of
the ship brought more and more water in through the broken planks. They both
felt that the end was very near. But the children were unaware of the feeling
of death.
His daughter Sue gave a card to her daddy on which caricatures of her
parents were drawn. Inside the card, there was a message: ‘Oh, how I love you
both. So this card is to say thank you and let’s hope for the best.’ This shows
their optimism. The author ‘with a heavy heart’ went below, climbed on his bunk
and dozed off. When he woke up at 6 p.m. he thought that they had missed the
island. Just then Jonathan and Sue came to him and asked for a hug. His son
called him the best daddy in the whole world and the best captain. Then his
daughter told him the happy news that he had found the island.
Whereas the author did his best to save them from the calamity, the
children had their own contribution. Sue did not want them to worry about a
head injury. It was so serious that subsequently to remove a recurring blood
clot between skin and skull, six minor operations had to be performed. The
six-year-old Jonathan was not afraid to die. Of course, Larry and Herb remained
cheerful and optimistic under the direst stress. And Mary stayed at the wheel
during all those crucial hours.
Question 2.
How does the story suggest that optimism helps to endure “the direst
stress”?
Answer:
The highly adventurous story “We’re not Afraid to Die… If we can all
be together” shows that by optimism, courage and conviction, we can endure the
direst stress. The author, his wife Mary, his son Jonathan and his daughter Sue
started their round-the-world sea voyage in July 1976 from Plymouth, England.
At Cape Town, they took the services of two crewmen Larry Vigil and Herb
Seigler.
Though during their voyage, they faced the danger of death several
times, yet none of them ever lost hope. They remained optimistic during
disaster. Even the children had shown an exemplary courage and optimism.
Rather, they seemed to be more calm and less panicky. The author though worried
for the safety of others, always tried his best until the Wavewalker touched
the island lie Amsterdam. Even his children did not want to worry him because
the author was trying to save them all. Sue did not tell how serious her head
injury was.
The best example of optimism is shown by the card presented by her to
her daddy with this message : ‘Oh, how I loved you both. So this card is to say
thank you and let’s hope for the best.’ Larry and Herb also remained cheerful
and optimistic during all this crucial time. Mary also was on the wheel with a
hope of their survival. Thus through this story we learn that optimism does
help to “endure the direst stress.”
Question 3.
What lessons do we learn from such hazardous experiences when we are
face to face with death ?
Answer:
The sea voyage which the author and his family undertook was quite a
hazardous experience from them. Several times they were face to face with
death. But with their courage, conviction, struggle and optimism they were able
to reach the island lie Amsterdam though their boat was badly damaged and a lot
of water had entered in it.
When we are face to face with death either we can lose heart and stop
struggling. Or we can struggle hard for our survival in a courageous and
optimistic manner what the author and his family and Larry and Herb did under
the disasterous situation. Half the battle is lost when we surrender cowardly
before the circumstances.
But victory is very much within our reach if we face the death
bravely, with balanced mind and, of course, with faith and optimism. Under such
circumstances, we should always hope for the best and never cease struggling
with the best of our abilities.
Question 4.
Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions in
spite of the risks involved ?
Answer:
From the times immemorial, man has shown courage to t)e adventurous.
He has been undertaking adventurous expeditions despite the risk involved. This
adventurous spirit enabled him to conquer Mount Everest, to reach Moon and to
undertake such aventurous expeditions in the sea, on land and mountains, in
space etc. Only brave and courageous people undertake such adventurous
expeditions. So naturally they Are not bothered about the risks involved in
such adventurous acts.
A man is endowed with the basic urge to discover various places. This
urge inspires various people to undertake such adventurous expeditions, like
the lone undertook by the author. The author tried to do again what Captain
James Cook had Already done 200 years ago. Of course, the people who undertake
such expeditions are aware of the risks involved. But being courageous people,
they are not afraid of anything which may come in their way to complete an
expedition.
We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Thinking About
Language
Question 1.
We have come across word like ‘gale’ and ‘storm’ in the account. Here
are some more words for ‘storms’ : typhoon, cyclone. How many words does your language
have for ‘storms’ ?
Answer:
In my language Hindi usually the following words are used for storm :
Question 2.
Here are the names for different kinds of vessels yacht, boat, canoe,
ship, steamer, schooner. Think of similar terms in your language.
Answer:
Similar terms used in Hindi for different kinds of vessels that are
used to travel on water are mentioned below :
Question 3.
Catamaran is a kind of a boat. Do you know which Indian language this
word is derived from? Check the dictionary.
Answer:
The origin of the word ‘catamaran’ is from the Tamil, which means
‘tied wood’. (It is a boat with twin parallel hulls)
Question 4.
Have you heard any boatmen’s songs? What kind of emotions do these
songs usually express ?
Answer:
Yes, I have heard many boatmen’s songs. These songs usually describe
the emotions of separation, union, reunion, achieving goods, reaching
destinations and also about home coming etc
Working With Words
Question 1.
The following words used in the text as ship terminology are also
commonly used in another sense. In what contexts would you use the other
meaning ?
Knot stern boom hatch anchor
Answer:
The other meaning of these words are
1. Knot :
(i) part of one or more pieces of string, rope, etc. twisted together,
usually to make a fastening, e.g. tie a knot in a rope; make a knot; something
that ties together, e.g. marriage-knot.
(ii) piece of ribbon, etc. twisted and tied as an ornament.
(iii) difficulty; hard problem, e.g. tie oneself s knot (get badly
confused about something.)
(iv) hard lump irks wood where a branch grew out from a bough or
trunk.
(v) group of person or things e.g. People were standing about in
knots.
(vi) knotty problem : one that is difficult to solve.
2. Stern:
(i) demanding and enforcing obedience, e.g. a stem taskmaster.
(ii) severe; strict, e.g. a stem face; stem looks; stem treatment;
stem rebukes.
3. Boom :
(i) heavy chain, mass of floating logs etc. held in position across a
river or harbour entrance, e.g. as a defence in time of war or to prevent logs
from floating away.
(ii) long, movable arm for a microphone.
(iii) make deep, hollow, or resonant sounds (e.g. of big guns, the
wind, an organ.)
(iv) boom out: utter in a deep voice.
(v) sudden increase in trade activity, especially at a time when money
is being made quickly.
(vi) boom towmtown showing sudden growth and prosperity.
(vii) have a boom: become well known and successful, e.g. Jones is
booming as a novelist, (becoming famous).
4. Hatch :
(i) opening in a wall between two rooms, especially a kitchen and a
dining room, through which dishes etc. are passed.
(ii) break out of an egg, e.g. The hen is hatching an egg.
(iii) think out and produce a plot etc. e.g. of a story or novel.
(iv) draw on or engrave (a surface) with parallel lines
5. Anchor :
(i) anything that gives stability or security
(ii) anchor man : one who co-ordinates the work of a group of persons
who work together, e.g. in a radio or T. V. Studio.
Question 2.
The following three compound words end in ship. What does each of them
mean ?
Airship flagship lightship
Answer:
(i) airship, means a power-driven aircraft kept in the air by a body
of gas which is lighter that air.
(ii) flagship, means
• the ship in a fleet
which carries the commanding admiral.
• the best or most
important thing owned or produced by an organisation.
(iii) lightship, ship moored or anchored and provided with beacon
lights for the same purpose as those in a light house.
Question 3.
The following are the meanings listed in the dictionary against the
phrase ‘take on’. In which meaning is it used in the third paragraph of the
account :
take on sth : to begin to have a particular quality or appearance, to
assume sth.
take sb on : to employ sb; to engage sb.
to accept sb as one’s opponent in a game, contest or conflict, take
sb/sth on : to decide to do sth; to allow sth /sb to enter; (eg a bus, plane or
ship to take sth/sb on board.)
Answer:
In the third paragraph take on is used the sense of ‘to employ
somebody or ‘to engage somebody”.
Things To Do
Question 1.
Draw a picture of a yacht. Label the parts of the yatch using the
terms given in the box.
Bow cabin rudder cockpit stern
Boom mainsail mast
Question 2.
Here is some information downloaded from the internet on lie
Amsterdam. You can view images of the isle if you go online.
Location – South Indian Ocean, between southernmost parts of Australia
and South Africa
Latitude and longtitude – 37′ 92’S, 77′ 67’E
Sovereignty – France
Political status notes – part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
Population – 35
Census notes – Meteorological station staff
Land area in square kilometers – 86
Answer:
The Amsterdam meaning Amsterdam Island is a French sub-antarctic
island discovered by the Spanish explorer Juan Sebastian Elcano on March 18,
1522. Elcano did not name the island, however, having found the island unnamed.
Dutch captain Anthonie Van Diemen named it Nieuw Amsterdam after his ship in
1633. The island is volcanic but is currently inactive. It has an area of 55
km² measuring 12 km on it longest side, and reaches as high as 867 m at the
Mont de la Dives. The island is a part of the French southern territories and
together with neighbouring lie Saint Paul (85 km to the south) forms one of the
floor district of the territory. Its base Martin-de- Vivies, formerly, called
La Roche Gadon, is the capital of the territory.
Question 3.
Locate lie Amsterdam on the world map.
Answer:
The location of Amsterdam is rounded of in the map below. It is a
French sub- antarctic island located at 37° 52′ S 77° 32′ E
Extra Questions and Answers
Read the following passages given below and answer the questions that
follow :
Passage 1
In July 1976, my wife Mary, son Jonathan, 6, daughter Suzanne, 7, and
I set sail from Plymouth, England, to duplicate the round-the-world voyage made
200 years earlier by Captain James Cook. For the longest time, Mary and I—a
37-year-old businessman—had dreamt of sailing in the wake of the famous explorer,
and for the past 16 years we had spent all our leisure time honing our
seafaring skills in British waters. Our boat Wavewalker, a 23 metre, 30 ton
wooden-hulled beauty, had been professionally built, and we had spent months
fitting it out and testing it in the roughest weather we could find. (Page 13)
Questions :
(i) Who had set sail arid from where ?
(ii) What had Captain James Cook done about 200 years back ?
(iii) What had the narrator been doing for the last 16 years during
his leisure time ?
(iv) How does the author describe ‘Wavewalker’ ?
(v) Use these words in your own sentences :
(a) explorer.
(b) duplicate.
Answers:
(i) The narrator, his wife Mary, his six year old son Jonathan and his
seven year old daughter Suzanne had set sail from Plymouth, England.
(ii) Captain James Cook had made the round-the-world voyage by sea
about 200 years ago.
(iii) For the past 16 years, the narrator had been polishing his
seafaring skills during his leisure time.
(iv) The author describes ‘Wavewalker’ as 23 metre long and 30 ton
wodden hulled beauty. It was made professionally.
(v)
(a) Columbus is known to be a famous explorer, who discovered America.
(b) The shopkeeper gave me the original bill and retained a duplicate
copy with him.
Passage 2
At dawn on January 2, the waves were gigantic. We were sailing with
only a small storm jib and were still making eight knots. As the ship rose to the
top of each wave we could see endless enormous sea rolling towards us, and the
screaming of the wind and spray was painful to the ears. To slow the boat down,
we dropped the storm jib and lashed heavy mooring rope in a loop across the
stem. Then we double-lashed everything, went through our life-raft drill,
attached lifelines, donned oilskins and life jackets—and waited. (Page 14)
Questions :
(i) What had happened on 2nd January ?
(ii) With what were they sailing ?
(iii) How did they feel about the screaming of the wind ?
(iv) What did they do to slow the boat down ?
(v) Give the opposites of:
(a) gigantic
(b) dropped.
Answers :
(i) The waves were extremely large at dawn on 2 January.
(ii) They were sailing with only a small storm jib.
(iii) They felt that the screaming of the wind was painful to the
ears.
(iv) They dropped the storm jib and lashed heavy mooring rope in a
loop across the stem.
(v) (a) small
(b) raised.
Passage 3
Larry and Herb were pumping like madmen. Broken timbers hung at crazy
angles, the whole starboard side bulged inwards; clothes, crockery, charts,
tins and toys slashed about in deep water. I half-swam, half-crawled into the
children’s cabin. ‘Are you all right ?’ I asked. “Yes,’ they answered from an
upper bunk.’ ‘But my head hurts a bit,’ said Sue, pointing to a big bump above
her eyes. I had no time to worry about bumped heads. (Page 15)
Questions :
(i) What happened to the starboard side ?
(ii) What were Larry and Herb doing ?
(iii) How did the narrator reach the children’s cabin ?
(iv) What had happened to Sue ?
(v) Find words in the passage which mean :
(a) the right-hand side of a ship
(b) thump swelling
Answers :
(i) The whole starboard side had bulged inwards and clothes, crockery,
charts, tins and toys etc. fell into the deep water of the sea.
(ii) Larry and Herb were pumping fastly and continuously in a crazy
manner.
(iii) The narrator reached the children’s room by half-swimming and
half-crawling.
(iv) Sue was hurt and there was a big hump above her eyes.
(v)
(a) starboard
(b) bump
Passage 4
On January 4, after 36 hours of continuous pumping, they reached the
last few cen-timetres of water. Now, we had only to keep pace with the water
still coming in. We could not set any sail on the main mast. Pressure on the
rigging would simply pull the damaged section of the hull apart, so we hoisted
the storm jib and headed for where I thought the two islands were. Mary found
some corned beef and cracker biscuits, and we ate our first meal in almost two
days. But our respite was short-lived. At 4 p.m. black clouds began building up
behind us; within the hour the wind was back to 40 knots and the seas were
getting higher. (Page 16)
Questions :
(i) Where did they reach after 36 hours of continuous pumping ?
(ii) What had they to do with the water which was still coming in ?
(iii) Why could they not set any sail on the main mast ?
(iv) Why was their respite for a short while ?
(v) Use the following words in your own sentences :
(a) hoisted
(b) rigging.
Answers :
(i) They reached the last few centimetres of water in the ship after
36 hours of continuous pumping.
(ii) They had to keep pace with the water which was still coming in.
(iii) They could not do so because the pressure on the rigging would
have pulled apart the damaged section of the hull.
(iv) Their respite was for a short while because black clouds began
building up behind them.
(v)
(a) The Prime Minister hoisted the tricolour on 15th August.
(b) Rigging in search for petrol and gases is going on in Gujarat
Passage 5
That evening, Mary and I sat together holding hands, as the motion of
the ship brought more and more water in through the broken planks. We both felt
the end was very near. But Wavewalker rode out the storm and by the morning of
January 6, with the wind easing, I tried to get a reading on the sextant. Back
in the chartroom, I worked on wind speeds, changes of course, drift and current
in an effort to calculate our position. The best I could determine was that we
were somewhere in 150,000 kilometres of ocean looking for a 65 kilometre-wide
island. (Pages 16-17)
Questions :
(i) What was the result of the motion of the ship ?
(ii) What did the narrator and his wife feel ?
(iii) On what the try to get a reading on the morning of January 6 ?
(iv) What did the narrator come to know about the whereabouts of the
ship ?
(v) Find the words from the passage, which mean :
(a) long flat pieces of sawn timber.
(b) an instrument for measuring angular distances.
Answers :
(i) As a result of the motion of the ship, more and more water entered
the ship through broken planks.
(ii) The narrator and his wife felt that their end was approaching
near.
(iii) He tried to get a reading on the sextant.
(iv) The narrator came to know that his ship was somewhere in 1,50,000
kilometres of ocean looking for a 65 kilometre-wide island.
(v)
(a) planks
(b) sextant.
Passage 6
About 2 p.m., I went on deck and asked Larry to steer a course of 185
degrees. If we were lucky, I told him with a conviction I did not feel, he
could expect to see the island at about 5 p.m. Then with a heavy heart, I went
below, climbed on my bunk and amazingly, dozed off. When I woke it was 6 p.m.
and growing dark. I knew we must have missed the island, and with the sail we
had left, we couldn’t hope to beat back into the westerly winds. At that
moment, a tousled head appeared by may bunk. ‘Can I have a hug ?’ Jonathan
asked. Sue was right behind him.
‘Why am I getting a hug now?’ I asked.
‘Because you are the best daddy in the whole world and the best
captain,’ my son replied.
‘Not today, Jon, I’m afraid.’
‘Why, you must be’ said Sue in a matter-of-fact voice ‘You found the
island.’ (Page 17)
Questions :
(i) What did the narrator ask and tell Larry ?
(ii) What did the narrator do after going below ?
(iii) What did Jonathan ask his daddy ? Why ?
(iv) What did Sue tell her daddy ?
(v) Make noun forms of the following :
(a) expect
(b) appeared
Answers :
(i) The narrator asked Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees. He told
Larry that he could expect to see the island at about 5 p.m.
(ii) The narrator dozed off after going below.
(iii) Jonatham asked his daddy if he could have a hug. Jonathan
thought that he was the best Daddy and Captain.
(iv) Sue told her daddy that he had found the island.
(v)
(a) expectation
(b) appearance.
Short Answer Type (in about 30-40 words)
Question 1.
Who had set sail and from where ?
Answer:
The author, his wife Mary, their six-year-old son Jonathan and their
seven-year- old daughter Suzanne had started the round-the-world sea voyage by
their boat Wavewalker from Plymouth, England in July, 1976
Question 2.
How does the author describe his boat Wavewalker ? How was it fitted
and tested ?
Answer:
The author describes Wavewalker as a 23 metre, 30 ton wooden-hulled
beauty. It had been professionally built. They had spent months fitting it out
and testing it in the roughest weather they could find.
Question 3.
When and why did the author take the services of two crewmen ?
Answer:
At Cape Town, before heading east, the author took the services of two
crew-men—American Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Seigler. He did so to help them
tackle one of the world’s roughest sea.
Question 4.
What did they do on 25th December ? How was the weather on then 25 ?
Answer:
On December 25, they were 3500 kilometres east of Cape Town. The
weather was still very bad. But they had a wonderful holiday. They celebrated
Christmas complete with chrismas tree.
Question 5.
What did they do to slow the boat down on January 2 ?
Answer:
The waves were gigantic on January 2. So they had to slow down the
boat. To do this, they dropped the storm jib and lashed heavy mooring rope in a
loop across the stem.
Question 6.
“With horror, I realized that it was not a cloud, but a wave like no
other I had ever seen.” What kind of a wave was
it ?
Answer:
What the author thought of as a cloud, turned out to be an extremely
extraordinary wave. It appeared perfectly vertical. It was almost twice the
height of the other waves, with a “frightful breaking crest.”
Question 7.
What was the outcome of the “tremendous explosion” ?
Answer:
Due to the extraordinarily high wave, there was a tremendous explosion
which shook the deck. A torrent of green and white water broke over the ship.
The author’s head smashed into the wheel. He flew overboard and was sinking
below the waves.
Question 8.
“I half-swam, half-crawled into the children’s cabin.” What did the
author find there ?
Answer:
After reaching the children’s cabin with a great difficulty, the
author asked them whether they were alright. They said yes in reply. But she
said that her head hurt a bit, pointing to a big bump over her eyes.
Question 9.
What did the author do after finding that the electric pump had been
short circuited ?
Answer:
The author found out that the electric pump of the ship had been
short-circuited. Then he remembered that they had another electric pump under
the chartroom floor. He connected it to an out-pipe and it started working.
Question 10.
‘I didn’t want to worry you when you were trying to save us all.’ When
and to whom Sue said these words ?
Answer:
Sue’s head had swollen excessively. She had two enormous black eyes
and she showed a deep cut on her arm. When her father said that why she had not
told him more about her injuries, she uttered these words.
Question 11.
‘Our only hope was to reach these pinpricks in the vast ocean.’ To
what is the author referring to ?
Answer:
The author checked the charts and calculated that there were two small
islands as few hundred kilometres to the east. One of them, lie Amsterdam, was
a French scientific base. The author is referring to these islands.
Question 12.
What was the message contained in Sue’s card ?
Answer:
Sue gave a card to her daddy. It contained a meaningful message. She
had written that she loved them (her daddy and mummy) very much. So that card
was to say thanks to them and the further had written ‘let’s hope for the best.’
Question 13.
What did the author tell Larry about the island ?
Answer:
Firstly, the author asked Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees. He
told him that if they were lucky, Larry could expect to see the island at about
5 p.m.
Question 14.
How did Sue and the author describe lie Amsterdam ?
Answer:
Sue described the island lie Amsterdam as : ‘as big as a battleship’.
The author described it as a bleak piece of volcanic rock, where there was
little vegetation. He called it as the most beautiful island in the world.
Long Answer Type (in about 100-150 words)
Question 1.
How did the first phase of the author’s sea voyage conclude ? What
preparations had they made for their journey ?
Answer:
The author, his wife Mary, his six-year-old son Jonathan and his seven-year-old
daughter Suzanne set sail from Plymouth, England for a round-the-world voyage
by sea. They started their long journey in July, 1976 by their boat Wavewalker.
It was 23 metres long and its weight was 30 tons.
It had been professionally built. They had spent many months fitting
it out and testing it in the roughest weather they could find. They had planned
their journey for three years and were supposed to cover 105,000
kilometres.However, the first phase of their journey passed pleasantly as they
sailed down the west coast of Africa to Cape Town.
Question 2.
What precautions did the author take to save Wavewalker from the
high-rising waves ?
Answer:
Immediately after starting journey from Cape Town, the author began to
encounter strong gales. They blew continuously for the next few weeks. The
author was more worried about the size of the waves. Their size was
alarming-upto 15 metres. It was as high as their main mast. However at dawn on
January 2, the waves were gigantic. They were sailing with only a small storm
jib and were still making eight knots.
The ship rose to the top of each wave. The screaming of the wind and
spray was painful to the ears. To protect the ship from the high-rising waves,
they decided to slow the boat down. For this, they dropped the storm jib and
lashed heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stem. Then they double-lashed
everything and went through their life-raft drill. Besides it, they attached
lifelines, donned oilskins and life-jackets also.
Question 3.
How did the author survive after a tremendous explosion shook the deck
?
Answer:
An extraordinarily high wave hit Wavewalker. As a result of it a
tremendous explosion shook the deck. A torrent of green and white wave broke
over the ship. The author’s head smashed into the wheel and he was aware of
flying overboard and sinking below the waves. He accepted his approaching death
and was losing consciousness. Then unexpectedly, his head popped out of the
water.
A few metres away, Wavewalker was near overturning and her masts were
almost horizontal. Then a wave hurled her upright. The author grabbed the guard
rails and sailed through the air into Wavewalker’s main boom. He survived, but
his left ribs had cracked and his mouth was filled with blood and broken teeth.
Question 4.
How did the author find the island lie Amsterdam ?
Answer:
The author was aware that Wavewalker was in a precarious condition. It
would not hold together long enough for them to reach Australia. So, he checked
the charts and calculated that there were two small islands a few hundred
kilometres to the east. One of them lie Amsterdam, was a French scientific
base. His only hope was to reach one of these islands. The author checked and
rechecked his calculations.
Then he went on deck and asked Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees.
He told him that if they were lucky, Larry could expect to see the island at
about 5 p.m. The author dozed off. When he got up at 6 p.m. he thought that
probably he had missed the island. But Sue told him that he had found the island.
It was island lie Amsterdam.
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