English - FL Answer the Questions [2 MARKS]

1. Planning the voyage : Gordon Cook had taken his inspiration of round the world voyage from captain James Cook who had completed this feat 200 years before. To fulfil his dream Gordon had spent 16 years on sharpening his seafaring skills. He had built a wooden boat, ‘Wavewalker’, which was 23 metres, weighing 30 tons. He had spent months fitting and testing it in the roughest weather they could find. They had planned a voyage which would last 3 years and cover a distance of 2,55,000 kilometres.
2. The Christmas tree: Gordon Cook, along with his family and two crewmen set sail in July 1976 from Plymouth, England. The first part of the journey passed pleasantly. They had sailed down to Cape Town. They were now entering the roughest sea. It was southern Indian Ocean. Strong winds began to blow. On December 25, 1976 they were 3500 km east of Cape Town. Though the weather was bad, they had a Christmas tree and celebrated Christmas in a wonderful way.
3. The storm: On January 2, 1977 there were huge waves. They could put up only a small sail in front of their ship. They secured everything tightly with ropes. At 6 p.m. a huge wave had hit the boat. Gordon Cook was thrown overboard. But his lifeline pulled him back to the boat. On the ship the water rushed in everywhere. Pumps had stopped working. More water got accumulated. One electric pump was in working order. Gordon Cook had plugged the hole from where the water gushed in. There was no response to the radio messages sent by them for help. On January 6 the Wavewalker came out of the storm. At 6 p.m. a complete outline of the island ‘Amsterdam’ was seen by them.

Frustration was written in bold letters on the faces of the voyagers. Ceaseless efforts had brought very little relief to them. But they did not lose hopes. They had been pumping out the accumulated water for the last 36 hours. A few centimetres of water was still left. Because of the strong wind no sail could be put on the main mast. If they did the pressure could further damage the ship. So they hoisted only the storm jib. They tried to head towards the direction of the two islands. That day they had their first meal in almost two days.
Hopes of survival were almost nil as black clouds began to build up, the wind became stormy and the waves rose higher. On January 5 the situation became worse. The weather was horrible. Frustration again dominated. Gordon Cook went to comfort the children. Jon asked his father if they were going to die. He tried to assure him that they would succeed in their efforts. Jon told him if they could be together they were not afraid of death. Listening to the words of the child Gordon regained courage. His determination to fight the storm became stronger. The following day the Wavewalker had overcome the storm. The wind had eased. Hopes of survival were revived.

At 6 p.m. on second January 1977 it appeared that the storm had calmed down. The wind stopped blowing and the sky grew dark. A roaring sound was heard. A huge cloud was seen closing on the ship. But the cloud turned out to be a huge wave. By the time it approached the ship the roaring transformed into a thunder. The torrent of water exploded on the deck.
There was water everywhere on the ship. It had entered the lower parts of the ship. The captain went down to find Lary and Herb trying to pump out the water. He plugged the big hole from where the water was gushing in. Debris floating around the cabins had blocked the hand pumps. Only one electric pump was in working order. He connected it tp the out-pipe- and it started working. With these efforts he was able to check the flooding of water in the ship.

Gordon Cook set sail in 1976. He had built for himself a huge boat and called it ‘Wavewalker’. The journey was to be 2,55,000 km. On second of January 1977, while they were in the southern Indian Ocean, about 3500 km from Cape Town, the weather suddenly became terrible. The sea became stormy. The ship was caught in the stormy sea. It rose to the top of each wave. The captain had taken various steps to protect themselves from the fury of the storm. First of all he had dropped down the jib (small sail) to slow down the speed. He secured everything tightly with ropes. He attached lifelines to the life-rafts. Then he made everyone to put on their oilskins and life jackets. These precautionary measures later proved to be insufficient.

Yes, Boatmen’s songs usually express love and nostalgia. It revolves around the longing to meet a loved one. It may also express their love for the sea.

The word ‘Catamaran’ is derived from Tamil language. The original word is ‘Kattumaram’: Kattu → to tie + mar am → wood, log

‘Naav’, ‘Nauka’, ‘Jahaaz’ and ‘Kishti’ are some of the various words used in Hindi for the word ‘boat’.

In Hindi, ‘storm’ is known as ‘aandhi’, ‘toofan’, ‘andhad’, etc.

An adventure is a dangerous and exciting experience. Love of adventure is an innate quality. It is with the person from his birth. Gordon Cook was the descendent of Capt. James Cook, who had taken up round the world voyage 200 years ago. So Gordon had this quality in his blood. Young Swinburn’s climb of Culver Cliff in the isle of Wight is an act of courage. People involve in such acts of courage because of their love for adventure.
This is a nature’s gift to the person. This longing to succeed in life has to be satisfied. One should take precaution that such acts of courage do not harm others. We should not indulge in such activities at the cost of others. The instinct is noble. It strengthens man’s character. It develops in him the qualities of determination. It enlivens their spirit. Gives them endless happiness. Such people should always be encouraged by us. There are risks involved. But such achievements are rare and are never overlooked.

Gordon Cook, Mary his wife, the children and the crewmembers were aware of the fact that anything could happen during the voyage and would prove disastrous. But they were optimistic. They were prepared for the worst. Every minute after the storm had struck they experienced the worst, but did not lose hopes. They had to survive through all their difficulties and dangers bravely.
At the first indication of the impending disaster the voyagers took all the necessary precautions. They were optimistic. When Gordon was thrown over the ship, with the help of the lifeline he was back on board. In spite of worst injuries his hopes for survival did not die down. His determination to face all hazards stood firm. From every action of the voyagers we learn that in spite of coming face to face with death one should not lose hopes but strive to pursue your goals couragiousely.
On asking why she had not reported about her injury, Sue was very bold in answering that she did not want them to be worried. While the parents were playing the major role to protect them, the children in no way proved to be a hindrance. On the contrary they extended a great moral support to the adults.

Optimism is a circumstance where we look on the brighter side of everything. An optimistic person keeps himself away from fear of failures. To such a person everything is easy to achieve. He deletes the word impossible from his life. He always hopes to succeed in whatever he indulges in. The story ‘We are not afraid to die’ very clearly and boldly prints out this idea. He did not give up his mission only because of his endless courage and optimistic view. He struggled and fought through the storm with unending courage.
He was thrown overboard but when he emerged to the surface he saw the ship being almost capsized. But nature and good fortune revived his optimism. A wave was about to straighten the ship. He held on to the railing which was touching the surface of the water. As the wave hurled her upright he was thrown back into the ship. In spite of worst injuries he survived. This he could achieve only because of optimism and tremendous courage. Every action Gordon Cook indulged in was an example of courage and exposure of the bright side of his life. To the last letter the story gives evidence of optimism and courage.

There were four adults and two children on board. After the celebration of the Christmas on the Wavewalker the voyagers were quite happy. But their happiness lasted only for a short duration. On January 2 the storm had struck. The screaming sound of wind was painful. The adults did not lose their presence of mind. In order to slow down the speed they dropped the storm jib. Secured everything tightly with ropes. They attached lifelines to their life-rafts. They put on their life skins and life jackets.
They did not panic but comforted and supported each other. Though Gordon Cook was thrown overboard he struggled for survival. He was on the verge of losing consciousness. He felt quite peaceful. His lifeline threw him back on the ship. He had suffered worst injuries. Yet he controlled the steering wheel and was ready for the worst. The crew men pumped out water to keep the ship afloat. When Gordon was taking care of other things his wife Mary, took control of the wheel. The children’s cabin was flooded but they did hope for the best. They told their father that they were alright. Gordon saw that they were terribly injured.

The proverb ‘United we stand, divided we fall’ holds true in the family as well as in national interest. History is full of examples where kings and emperors have been defeated owing to lack of unity. India became a slave due to the lack of unity among various rulers. Our first war of freedom in 1857 did not bear fruit as there was no unity. The British could rule following the policy of divide and rule. Unity and cooperation lead to success and progress. Adverse forces cannot harm when we stand united. Gandhiji brought the whole nation under one flag and the result was the success of the freedom movement. Where there is unity, there is coordination and cooperation. Unity ushers in peace, strength and progress and very adverse conditions pave way for success. Unity gives us an aim and all the members work towards achieving that aim. Obstacles and hurdles and even approaching annihilation cannot subdue the spirit of the united people. When people are united they give no importance to their personal problems. The purpose that has united them never fades into nothingness, it becomes their guiding star and to kiss success they work unmindful of trials and tribulations. United efforts create favourable circumstances and the boat of life reaches the coast, all safe and sound and undamaged. Unity is very essential for family, social and national life. Even death fails to frighten the people who stand united and they strive selflessly to reach the destination. How the narrator and his companions face the turbulent ocean for ten days and how they work together to survive against all odds, is an appropriate example of this dictum. And in the end, they manage to defeat death and reach their destination.

Efforts have in their womb the seeds of success. Success broadly means the realization of an aim. With adequate means, success can be attained and it depends on factors beyond and within our control. Time, Place and opportunity are beyond our control but physical and mental abilities are within our reach. Physically unlit body drives away success. intelligence is the next quality required to achieve the aim. Mental fitness is another quality. It gives us a clear vision. Then come steadiness and perseverance. Perseverance lends us the required patience which is indispensable to surmount obstacles. Man must know the technique to control his senses and faculties and should not panic even in the face of insurmountable obstacles. Then he will find a way out. Above all, a man should remain optimistic and if need be he can also seek help from other reliable quarters.

The narrator thanked his crewmen for remaining cheerful and hopeful in the face of death. Mary had controlled the wheel for hours. Sue, the seven-year-old girl did not complain of pain in spite of getting a severe head injury; while the six-year-old Jon was not afraid to die. So, they all deserved thanks and compliments.

Ile Amsterdam was only a volcanic rock with very little vegetation. But to the narrator And his crew, it was the most beautiful island in the world. After all, they now felt secure. They had found an escape from the dead sea and found land at last.

On January 6, the narrator was taking a short nap. At 6 p.m., Jonathan woke him up and  Wanted to hug him “because he was the best daddy in the world, and the best captain” as well. Sue then gave the happy news that they had reached Ile Amsterdam.

On January 4 towards the afternoon, the sea became rougher and clouds began building Up. By next morning, the couple lost all hope of survival. That evening, the narrator And his wife Mary noticed that more and more water was flowing in through the broken  Planks. They both felt the end was very near.

On January 4 after continuous pumping of 36 hours, the narrator noticed a steep fall in The water level. He hoisted the storm jib and headed for the islands. On that day, they had their first meal in almost two days. It consisted of some beef and cracker biscuits.

The narrator spotted two small islands on the chart. One of these, Ile Amsterdam, was a 65-km wide island in 1,50,000 km of ocean. It was a French scientific base. But it was not easy to reach those small islands which were like pinheads in that vast ocean.

The situation was hopeless and the parents were still tense. Sue made a card and drew Their caricatures, calling them funny people. Her gesture made them laugh. The card also thanked them and gave a message of hope.

The narrator had two children with him. His daughter Sue was 7 years old while the Son Jon was six. Sue suffered a bump on her head and cuts on her arm. But she did not Bother her father. They had no food for almost two days. Even after facing gales and High waves for ten days, which almost sank their boat, Jon told his father that he and Sue was not afraid to die if all four of them were together. If was their bravery and Confidence in their parents, which encouraged the father to fight the weather.

Having covered the open hole on the deck, The narrator found the handpumps blocked With debris. The electric pump had short-circuited. The two spare handpumps had been thrown overboard due to the storm. Fortunately, he had another electric pump that served the purpose of pumping out water.

The narrator gave charge of the wheel to Mary. He found a hammer, screws and canvas. He spread the canvas and fixed it across the holes in the deck. Thus, he deflected the water over the side.

Mary was in the lower part of the boat along with the children. The lid on the deck had blown off and Mary reported that the boat was full of water, and they were sinking.

When the waves hit the boat, the narrator was tossed around the deck as if he were a rag doll. His left ribs cracked, his teeth were broken and his mouth was filled with blood. But he just held on to the guard rails fast and took charge of the wheel. His daughter Susan was hurt on the head very badly.

On the morning of January 2, the waves were gigantic. The wind was screaming and their boat rose to the top of each wave as it hit the boat. To slow the boat down, the narrator and his crew dropped the storm jib and lashed a heavy mooring rope across the stern. Then they double lashed everything, wore oilskins and life jackets and attached themselves with lifelines.

As the voyagers sailed eastward from Cape Town, the strong winds began to blow. The rough weather went on for the next few days. But in spite of foul weather, the family celebrated Christmas, complete with a Christmas tree. But there seemed no improvement in the weather during the New Year too.

The narrator knew well that the Southern Indian Ocean, towards the east of Cape Town, Was very rough and dangerous. So he hired two crewmen to help him. Yes, his fears came true as they started facing strong gales as they left Cape Town. They continued fighting gigantic waves and winds for more than a week.

At Cape Town, the narrator took a timely and very wise step. Before going eastward, he engaged two crewmen, an American named Larry and a Swiss named Herb to help them tackle the world’s roughest seas, the Southern Indian Ocean. The crewmen worked very hard to pump the water out. They remained cheerful and hopeful even when they stood face to face with death.

The voyagers left the English shore in July 1976. The expedition was difficult and risky. The narrator knew it. The Southern Indian Ocean was known to he very rough and stormy. They faced strong winds for several weeks after leaving Cape Town. On January 2, the boat confronted high sea waves which damaged it. Death seemed certain. It was their hard work and good luck that they survived and reached the small island, named Ile. Amsterdam.

Wavewalker was the name given to the narrator’s boat. It was professionally built. It was a 23-metre long, wooden-hulled 30-ton boat. The narrator spent months fitting it out and testing it for the roughest weather.

The narrator wanted to fulfil his dream of sailing around the world like Captain James Cook. He worked on the project for 16 years and spent all his leisure time in mastering the art of navigation. He built his Wavewalker, a 23-metre long boat weighing 30 tons.

 It was a small family, the parents and their two kids. The narrator was a 37-year-old businessman, his wife Mary and their two children—daughter Sue and son Jonathan.

The narrator’s son, Jonathan, 6 years old, made this remark when his father went in to comfort the children. “But Daddy,” he went on, “we aren’t afraid of dying if we can all be together—you and mummy, Sue and I.”