[.ca] The Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of ... (ISBN 007135526X)

From Amazon.com:
In October 1998, a wayward tropical storm blossomed into one of the most powerful hurricanes in modern history. When it finished its devastating course throughout the Caribbean, Hurricane Mitch had killed thousands of people, left hundreds of thousands more homeless, and destroyed whole towns. Journalist Jim Carrier turns up a small but telling incident: the disappearance of a 282-foot schooner called the Fantome. Guided by a young but accomplished English captain and manned by seasoned West Indian sailors, the cruise ship put into port in Belize to discharge its passengers, then set out to sea in an attempt to outrace a storm that, defying expectation, changed its course and in the end sent the Fantome and its crew beneath the waves. All that was terrible enough; added to it was the legal battle that awaited the crew's survivors, one that hung over the disaster "like a poisonous cloud." Following the Fantome's course hour by hour, Carrier covers all aspects of the incident thoroughly and sympathetically. His book makes a compelling companion to Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm as a fine reconstruction of a maritime tragedy, one that does honor to the unfortunate dead. --Gregory McNamee

When God's Not On Your Side:
It is impossible to overpraise this hurricane account as presented here by Jim Carrier. Brilliant, masterful, harrowing, heroic, foolhardy, and heartbreaking are not overstatements. This is a story told by an experienced seaman who knows his subject all too well and who poignantly points out how life-or-death decisions can have ambiguous, rather than strictly right-or-wrong, answers. The book is frighteningly vivid in its descriptions of what experiencing a 'Cat 5' at sea would be like. It also beautifully balances the tragedy that was befalling the 'Fantome' with the simultaneous tragedy that 'Mitch' was wreaking on land; particularly the Honduran side of the story. As Carrier, the old salt, so aptly puts it in his dedication to the crew of the 'Fantome' at the beginning of the book: "There but for the grace of God go I." This is indispensable reading.

Highly Recommend:
An excellent read. Could not and would not put the book down.

Good meteorological detail:
This book was unique in that in went into detail on what went on in the minds and decisions of forecasters at the National Hurricane Center, as well as specific details on the meteorological events of Hurricane Mitch. I enjoyed the book's arrangement of detailed events aboard Fantome, with an intermittent change to events with Mitch, and events at the NHC and Windjammer management. Very suspenseful and detailed. Good sea adventure.

Good Balanced Account:
Within the sail training (or "Tall Ship") community the loss of the FANTOME was a mixture of "there but for the grace of God go I" and "Windjammer Barefoot Cruises were always a bit seat of the pants". As stated in the book - The American Sail Training Association annual conference heard papers regarding hurricane prediction and the margins for error soon after the loss and there was much discussion. For those in the "Tall Ship" industry, as opposed to the Cruise Industry, this book appears to lay to rest some myths and contains much in the way of new information. Jim Carrier has not written a scientific paper - his book would not have much appeal if he had, but at the outset he states his "standard" of evidence and then attempts to lay out as objectively as possible what he has learned. Conclusions are left entirely to the reader. His switching between the various authorities, locales, offices and the ship is skilfully done and keeps one aware of the background against which each group of people were working as hurricane Mitch developed. It is a little unfair to say that Carrier doesn't do justice to the ruining of the Honduras economy. Against the story - which is really about the ship - he gives the shore side plenty of coverage. The story is of high interest to a whole different audience than the "Perfect Storm" readers - though I am sure they will learn too. Within the industry there was much debate about Windjammer Barefoot Cruises and their operational methods. Carrier does not get drawn in, he notes the distancing by other operators, presents the facts as he has been able to determine them and leaves the readers to draw their own conclusions. As the Fantome's flag state did not carry out an inquiry this is probably as good an accident report as will ever be generated and from which you can draw your own lessons. If you are a casual reader with an interest - it is a skillfully told account of what happens when nature lets rip and is stronger than anything we can construct to resist it.

Amazing Grace:
This book captured my attention and my heart for almost 6 hours last night- I could not put it down until 4am when I had finished. I had heard only in passing the name of the boat, but the author did such a good job illustrating the cruise and the crew that I felt like I had been onboard. Even if you aren't a sailor or a weather buff, read this book for the beautifully told personal insight into a tragedy that we all can learn from.