The Last Voyages of the Pamir, Albatross, Marques, Pride of Baltimore, and Maria Asumpta
By Daniel S. Parrott, Daniel Parrott
For all its romance, the tall-ship renaissance has a tragic side. Working from official documents, survivor and expert interviews, and his own tall-ship experience, Parrott re-creates the losses of five sail-training vessels: the 316-foot Pamir (1957), 117-foot Albatross (1961), 117-foot Marques (1984), 137-foot Pride of Baltimore (1986), and 125-foot Maria Asumpta (1995). He vividly re-creates each final voyage and then explortes the roles played by ship stability, structural integrity, weather, human error, and standards of risk in tragedies at sea.
From the Back Cover
Five Stories of Tragic Loss at Sea
Once nearly swept from the seas, tall ships have experienced a fifty-year renaissance as sail training and passenger vessels. But that resurgence has had a tragic side, and professional mariner and maritime scholar Dan Parrott explores it in this groundbreaking reconstruction of five infamous losses that claimed 112 lives. Parrott's vivid re-creations of each final voyage dissect the circumstances of loss from forensic evidence, expert testimony, survivors' memories, and his own considerable experience. Rich with history and lore, Tall Ships Down shows unforgettably how small and seemingly insignificant lapses can produce fatal consequences at sea.
"An engaging--and heartrending--book."--Ocean Navigator
"In addition to being a fabulous read, Tall Ships Down is a sailing seminar for both active and armchair sailors."--Sailing
"The careful detail makes gripping reading. Not much detective fiction holds a reader's attention so well."--WoodenBoat
"A closely reasoned seaman's appraisal."--SAIL
"This extraordinary book is a must-read for anyone interested in the world of Tall Ships."--Tall Ships and Sail Training International
"An important contribution to maritime studies. . . . Parrott writes with ease and authority, carefully blending both historical and technical data."--Baltimore Sun
"If you're a fan of sea stories, you should have a great time reading Tall Ships Down."--Connecticut Post
About the Author
Daniel S. Parrott is a professional mariner with twenty years' experience in tall ships all over the world. He holds a master's degree in maritime affairs from the University of Rhode Island, an Australian Masters Certificate, and a U.S. Coast Guard license for Master of Oceans, Motor, Steam, and Auxiliary Sail, 1,600 Tons. After five years in command of the 158-foot topsail schooner Pride of Baltimore II, he now teaches navigation, seamanship, and sail training at the Maine Maritime Academy.
Customer Reviews
Must read for any serious sailor
I am new to sailing and not a captain and have not sailed the seven seas. However, this book is the best lesson any new sailor can learn because it is a very good analysis of why ships sink, any ship, not just a tall ship. The key is that these are very big ships that people equate with safety but the principles outlined in this book apply to all boats.
I feel sad for the lose of life due to these sinkings and the author makes it clear that prevention of future occurances is his goal in writing this book.
I highly recommend this book.
Why some ships sink
Readers seeking spine-tingling narratives of sea disasters will be disappointed with Tall Ships Down, because this brilliant book is instead a penetrating analysis of the circumstances of loss of several traditional sail ships in recent times. In five lucid essays, the author uses each sinking to illuminate the intersection of changes in nautical technological traditions, situational decision-making, and construction of sailing heritage. Beyond sailors or maritime buffs, this superbly written work should capture anyone interested in the sociology of technological change. The author is thoughtful and engaging, with his experience as captain of large traditional sail ships only one source of the book's extraordinary insights. Tall Ships Down will take its place as a classic alongside technology and culture studies such as Hilton's Eastland: Legacy of the Titanic. I'd consider it a shame if the author does not give us next a full-length treatment of the sinking of the Pamir, or a biography of Alan Villiers.
A Great Read
This book is a great read for both professional mariners and armchair sailors alike. Professionals will appreciate the insight into these disasters and their causes, while the armchair sailor will find the sea stories fascinating enough to keep their interest. The author's writing style is easy to read, and his research is fairly extensive. All in all an outstanding book that deserves a place in any nautical library.
1 comentarios:
"Tall Ships Down" is no doubt an entertaining read. But what is the quality of its analyses? Unfortunately, I am only sufficiently familiar with the case of PAMIR to judge Parrott's work. At least for this case, however, I was astounded to see how he relies on secondary sources and speculations rather than primary sources and established facts. Maybe it is because the primary sources are, of course, in German. Parrott does not cite a single one of them--not even the 300+ report of the German authorities who looked into the case. True, Parrott cites and speculates many other interesting aspects. But the overall picture remains fragmented and unconvincing. If it was just about the language, why did he include the loss of PAMIR into his book? If it was not about language... what am I expect of the analyses of the other ships in the book? Are they just as uncomplete? Are they biased? I will never know unless I somehow research those cases. If I do that, however, ... what then would Parrott's book be other than a collection of references?
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