xxstefaniereadsxx's review
informative
tense
slow-paced
3.0
The Fantome was a schooner, also known as a tall ship, last owned by Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. (It was once owned by the Duke of Westminster, which I thought was a tremendously interesting fact, and it also mentioned several famous names that had been aboard prior to the last ownership.) The ship offered cruises along the Caribbean islands. Hurricane Mitch is the second deadliest hurricane reported. The loss of life and devastation left by this storm is amazing to read about. It developed in the most favorable conditions for a hurricane to develop in, causing it to reach Category Five strength in basically no time flat. It was also slow moving, which caused extensive amounts of flooding in Central America and the islands. I cannot imagine being in a hurricane at sea, and certainly not on a schooner. I would have died from fright before anything else would have had a chance to kill me. I cannot imagine being a Captain and having to make the decision for my passengers and crew that could cost them their lives. I won't spoil the book by going into what happened to the people on board, but whew! I just cannot imagine the struggle.
I have no idea why my used bookstore has so many books about shipping disasters these days, but I am happily here to buy them all up. I have never desired to take a cruise, and I have just been reading all of these types of books, which has really erased any faint desire I have to go cruising. My family loves to cruise, and I always thought they were silly for it. I love the ocean, but it is just so vast and so unpredictable at times. I certainly would never cruise during hurricane season. I am absolutely terrified of whales, and I think I am beginning to fear the ocean in general after reading so many of these types of books back to back this year. Perhaps I need to take a shipwreck hiatus. At any rate, the story was well told, and I learned a great deal about yachts, tall ships, and the Fantome in general. I had no idea people did cruises on these types of ships, though we have riverboat cruises where I live. (At least I know I can swim/float to the other side of the Tennessee River if we ever sank in it though.) I liked the description and detail of the Captain's plan and thought process in getting people off of the ship and trying to get somewhere to keep the ship safe. Books like this can often come across as boring when they weigh you down with information, but I didn't feel bored or suffocated by ship facts. I thought they were really neat to learn, and I appreciate any time I get to learn something. If you are a morbid shipwreck reader like myself, I would suggest giving this one a read.
I have no idea why my used bookstore has so many books about shipping disasters these days, but I am happily here to buy them all up. I have never desired to take a cruise, and I have just been reading all of these types of books, which has really erased any faint desire I have to go cruising. My family loves to cruise, and I always thought they were silly for it. I love the ocean, but it is just so vast and so unpredictable at times. I certainly would never cruise during hurricane season. I am absolutely terrified of whales, and I think I am beginning to fear the ocean in general after reading so many of these types of books back to back this year. Perhaps I need to take a shipwreck hiatus. At any rate, the story was well told, and I learned a great deal about yachts, tall ships, and the Fantome in general. I had no idea people did cruises on these types of ships, though we have riverboat cruises where I live. (At least I know I can swim/float to the other side of the Tennessee River if we ever sank in it though.) I liked the description and detail of the Captain's plan and thought process in getting people off of the ship and trying to get somewhere to keep the ship safe. Books like this can often come across as boring when they weigh you down with information, but I didn't feel bored or suffocated by ship facts. I thought they were really neat to learn, and I appreciate any time I get to learn something. If you are a morbid shipwreck reader like myself, I would suggest giving this one a read.
ericwelch's review against another edition
4.0
Read this a couples of years ago. Classic case of overreaching and miscommunication. The ship sailed right into the path of Mitch.
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