The Big Sea

I really enjoyed reading Cold Hazard, a 1955 British novel authored by Richard Armstrong (1903-1986). It was a harrowing shipwreck story containing all of the survival bitterness, harsh locale, and intense rescues that help shape a terrific nautical fiction work. Armstrong's writing style is permeated with realism, a trait fueled by his two decades of work with the Merchant Service. I own several of the author's works and wanted to revisit icy shores again. I chose to read his 1964 novel The Big Sea, originally published in hardcover by David McKay Company, Inc. 

Two close friends, young sailing apprentices named Jonty and Dave, are part of the experienced crew of the SS Kariba, an aging cargo ship that is making its final voyage. The farewell trip takes the men and boat through a severe storm in the North Atlantic, an area battered by freezing temperatures, piercing rain, and massive gales. When the Kariba suffers a severe fracture across her deck plates, she takes on significant water in the holds. This leads to equipment failure, the loss of steering, engines, and an eventual complete blackout. 

Thankfully, the crew is able to flag down a nearby vessel, the Juba, and relocate most of the crew. From the safety of this rescue vessel, Dave watches as the Kariba lists precariously as it begins sinking into the ocean's deep fathoms. But to his horror, he realizes that Jonty is still on board the Kariba, experiencing the horrors of the sinking ship and an icy drowning. In a panic, the crew of the Juba attempts to rescue Jonty, but the momentum of the sinking ship is now too risky for a close interaction. From afar, the Juba's crew painstakingly exhaust their long-distance efforts to communicate and assist Jonty. 

Maritime peril, inevitable disaster, and the technical nuances of ocean survival have quickly become one of my favorite formulas of high-adventure and nautical fiction. In his The Big Sea, Armstrong uses his narrative to emotionally connect the sailor with the ship, not as much as a physical bond, but more of a connection to the ship's working spirit. This fine telling of a ship's final days showcases the investment the crew has, and their thoughts about the craft's journey ending either in a junked scrapyard or a watery grave. The tragic fate of the ship – a failing, aged vessel – represents the old working sailor, equally facing either death on the open seas or at a rest home. 

If you love this sort of nautical-adventure storytelling, then The Big Sea will surely be a wonderful reading experience. Get the book HERE.