At the Mercy of the Sea: The True Story of Three Sailors in a Caribbean Hurricane (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: life rah, breaking seas, Coast Guard, Virgin Islands, Steve Rigby (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Kretschmer was a friend of Carl Wake, one of three sailors caught in Hurricane Lenny on November 14, 1999, in the Caribbean. The storm's winds reached 150 miles an hour. The sailors were from three countries, sailing three fundamentally different boats, heading in three different directions when the storm hit. Kretschmer had taught Wake how to sail, helped him choose his boat, and offered him advice on when to sail in the Caribbean. Kretschmer draws on interviews with family and friends, and transcripts of their radio calls, and then analyzes the storm, aided by the National Hurricane Center. Wake initially was able to rescue one of the other sailors, but ultimately all three boats sank. Much of the book is a tribute to Wake, recounting his personal life and his love of sailing. Kretschmer also offers a portrait of the two other sailors, Steven Rigby, from Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-on-Avon, and Guillaume Llobregat, from Brazil, who lived in St. Martin. Kretschmer has created a fast-paced, moving story of a disaster at sea. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

“The tale of Carl Wake and the hurricane that was waiting for him goes straight to the heart of the greatest sea stories: they are not about man against the sea, but man against himself. John Kretschmer’s book is as perfectly shaped and flawlessly written as such a story can be. In addition to being the best depiction I have ever read of what it is like to be inside a hurricane at sea, At the Mercy of the Sea is as moving a story of a man’s failure and redemption as can be found anywhere in the literature of the sea. This book is surely destined to become a classic.”—Peter Nichols, author of Sea Change and A Voyage for Madmen

“John Kretschmer has transformed this story of three men on a collision course with a hurricane into a modern seafaring classic.”—Peter Nielsen, editor of SAIL magazine

“With expert analysis and taut writing, he draws readers into that mad storm. You can’t turn away. You keep reading until it breaks your heart.”—Fred Grimm, columnist for the Miami Herald

“Once begun, his vivid and powerful narrative is impossible to put down.”—Derek Lundy, author of Godforsaken Sea and The Way of a Ship

“I felt I knew Carl Wake, because John Kretschmer found in him an archetype—an aging sailor with an age-old dream.”—Jim Carrier, transatlantic sailor and author of The Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of the Fantome

“A remarkable book, impossible to put down.”—Herb McCormick, sailing journalist

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (August 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071498877
• ISBN-13: 978-0071498876
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,517 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #9 in	Books > Science > Earth Sciences > Atmospheric Sciences > Hurricanes
  #18 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation > Boating
  #24 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Moving Book of the Sea, October 12, 2006

By	Alan D. Sugarman (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: At the Mercy of the Sea (Hardcover)

John Kretschmer has hit a home run with his new book - this is a very moving tale of the sea and hurricanes - and, even more, a moving tale of the people who go to sea on small sailing boats. I did not put the book down until it was finished. If you liked the Perfect Storm, this is better, partly because Kretschmer has been there himself, facing hurricanes on a small boat. This is a book about a tragedy, but is uplifiting at the same time. Great book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story for sailors and non-sailors alike, October 27, 2006

By	Amy Stapleton - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: At the Mercy of the Sea (Hardcover)

Like the other reviewers, I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. I wanted to mention that I believe this book will be a good read for both sailors and non-sailors. Kretschmer doesn't assume knowledge of sailing procedures and lingo. He does a good job of explaining sailing concepts so as not to lose readers with less exposure to the jargon of the sailing world. For experienced sailors, though, the description of what the various captains went through during their ordeals is gripping and informative.

Kretschmer does an especially good job of putting together the pieces of what likely transpired during the various stages of each of the captains' journeys. Based on limited facts, Kretschmer relies on his vast knowledge of sailing vessels, weather, Caribbean locations, and the human psyche to extrapolate not only what the captains did during their last fateful days, but also what they must have been thinking. Kretschmer shows where each of the captains made their mistake, and explains the probable reasons for their decisions. He neither glorifies, nor condemns, his subjects. He shows that they are human. In the case of his friend Carl, he recreates Carl's final great achievement and, by doing this, celebrates that greatness that lies in every person, but that so often remains dormant and unseen.

The fact that Kretschmer could bring all the individual pieces of these men's lives together into a cohesive, compelling story is, I think, the real achievement of this book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At The Mercy of the Sea, October 24, 2006

By	Steven M. Randall (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: At the Mercy of the Sea (Hardcover)

This is not a sea story, but a story that takes place on the sea. It is a story of a man searching for meaning and relevance. It is about a man, who after spending his life chasing the American Dream, realizes that the American Dream only allows you to dream. So he sets off in search of something real. His reality proved to be a nightmare.

Before I finished the Prologue, I could tell that this was a story about me. In fact, it is a story about many men just like Carl, the lead character. Men of "quiet desperation" as Thoreau so aptly put it. And before I was halfway through the book, I knew that I was going to miss Carl, even though I had never met him.

The research was painstakingly detailed and accurate. The writing style was captivating. As I read, I felt the same exhaustion, frustration and fear as those that were in the hurricane. Like a movie watcher that knows danger lurks around the corner, I felt myself pleading with Carl to go east, just go east into the Atlantic and come back when its all over.

I got the book on a Wednesday and finished it on Thursday evening. I couldn't put it down. John Kretschmer has officially crossed over from story teller to serious writer. I look forward to what he will give us next.