The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst

[GM0WEZ]

You might have seen the film 'The Mercy' but the original book is better still.

It tells the true story of Donald Crowhurst, who was a pretty inventive electronics engineer who entered the 1969 solo round the world yacht race, taught himself morse, and sent regular position reports via HF marine radio to his sponsors.

The trouble was, the position reports were not accurate.

The story is a lot more complex than that, and my own view is he certainly had not intended to mislead. His boat was not ready for such a journey, and perhaps he wasn't either, but pulling out would have caused him and his sponsors a lot of difficulties.

His boat was later found abandoned, with no trace of him.

Well worth a read.

 

[G4HLN]

'The Mercy' is a good film, dramatised in parts but eminently watchable. The representation of Portishead Radio in the film is not quite accurate - the operating area seems very plush with marble columns and all the operating consoles located in the Control Room, when in fact the operating consoles were located in prefabricated 'wings' coming off the central Control Room. However, this is nit-picking and I do recommend watching it.

There is another film on the same subject which is more of a documentary, called 'Deep Water' which has plenty of interviews and family input, and gives a more realistic breakdown of what actually happened. This appears on TV from time to time but seems to have had a more restricted release. However it is available on DVD.

Finally there is a documentary on YouTube which has interviews with Portishead Radio staff who 'were there' with actual footage of the station and is worth watching. Link here:

Larry +

 

[G4HAA]

Finally there is a documentary on YouTube which has interviews with Portishead Radio staff who 'were there' with actual footage of the station and is worth watching. Link here:

Larry +

Watched!

Despite all of the rushed preparations and broken equipment, you get the feeling it was his own mind that finished him in the end.

I had a look to see where his boat is/was these days, and found that what was left of it is just piled in a heap on an island.

https://www.nationalgallery.org.ky/teignmouth-electron-19-years-tacita-dean/

A doubly sad ending.

73, Mark...