76 Days Adrift

1h 45m   |   Documentary

Long before writing Adrift or consulting for Ang Lee on Life of Pi, Steven Callahan was an experienced sailor. He designed boats. He designed his own, Napoleon Solo, a 21 foot sailboat. Like his childhood hero, Robert Manry, Steven set out to fulfill his dream of sailing solo across the ocean. He trained. Doing smaller sail races before taking Napoleon Solo across, first a test-run with his friend Chris traveling from Rhode Island to England. They had the time of their lives. On the return voyage, he would finally set out on his own. Launching from Portugal, it was smooth beautiful sailing for the first week. Solo sailing requires skill and discipline, there is no room for error. Steven slept in short bouts while managing his boat. On the eve of February 4, 1982, he was traveling steady. He set his course and removed his clothes as he took his scheduled rest. He could not have foreseen the whale that swam by, going its own path, accidentally clipping the side of his boat. In the middle of the night, there was a loud Boom. Within minutes, his small craft was flooded with a rush of water. He grabbed what he could. He heaved his life raft into the ocean. He snatched his emergency kit. Desperately, he abandoned his beloved ship and entered the raft. It was night. His boat was gone. Months of food and water and all his supplies, gone. The cold sea rippled beneath the raft chilling his exposed skin. He was naked and alone on the wide black ocean. The emergency raft was not designed to last long, it would begin leaking small amounts of air as soon as it was inflated, as all rafts do. Every item in his emergency bag was sacred, irreplaceable. It would quickly deteriorate; like the raft, like himself. He was seven days out from land. But the current flowed the opposite direction, pulling him deeper into the sea. He was sinking. He had no food or water. Cold nights, scorching days, storms, the sharks could kill him just by puncturing the raft. Every day was a puzzle he had to solve or die. Each small victory brought impossible new challenges; as he floated adrift, the complete length of the Atlantic Ocean, for 76 Days.

Showtimes

• Oct 10