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Nautical Interest >> Book Reviews
Tall Ships Down
The last voyages of the Pamir, Albatross, Marques, Pride of Baltimore, and Maria Asumpta
by Daniel S. Parrott
International Marine / McGraw Hill
A Book Review
 Let me start by declaring that I'm no professional mariner but I've read enough and have enough experience to know that messing around in boats is serious business. Daniel S. Parrott is a professional mariner and he does a very good job explaining the five sinkings. His knowledge is apparent as he dissects the events leading up to the tragedies. He explains things such as buoyancy and righting arm moments in understandable terms. (There is some excellent material in the annexes explaining the technical details.) He also writes knowledgeably about rough weather because he has been out in it. His style of writing is so engaging you can almost feel like you are there watching events unfold as he describes them.
This book is a must read for anyone serious about tall ship sail training, particularly those who own and operate such vessels. It demonstrates lessons about many areas where vigilance is required regarding the safety and stability of a ship. For those interested in joining a tall ship for a sail training adventure it gives you pause to think about questions to ask of the organizations providing tall ship sail training experiences, and the condition of the vessels. It should be of interest to people who sail yachts as well, particularly those who build their own, or make modifications to theirs.
Parrott methodically covers a lot of detail in each sinking. He discusses various factors that may have contributed to the sinkings: watertight integrity, weather, regulations, vessel design (in particular the design and operation of freeing ports and hatches) & modifications and their effect on stability, sail plan and how much sail was carried at the time of the incident, crew training and composition, equipment. There is a lot of detail but I never found it overwhelming. This is the type of book you want to take your time reading and fully understanding.
Pamir: This ship made the transition from the golden age of wind powered cargo ships into the age of steam. Parrott discusses how the loss of knowledge of how to load cargo in and sail these large ships may have been a contributing factor to its sinking. This ship was built to take the punishment of rounding Cape Horn, but for various reasons was lost in a hurricane in the Caribbean. This case demonstrates the vast knowledge that must be acquired by masters and mates in order to properly master these ships.
Albatross: You may recall the Albatross from the Hollywood movie White Squall starring Jeff Bridges. This Albatross was a sort of floating classroom that offered the opportunity to learn tall ship sail training down through the Caribbean. It got clobbered by a very nasty, very sudden squall. Parrott explains how some of the modifications to the vessel over the years may have contributed to its not being able to right itself after a knockdown.
Marques: This is another case of a ship being modified in various ways over the years, as a movie prop in the case of the Marques, having an effect on ship stability and safety. This coupled with decisions made in a race put the ship into bad weather where it suffered a knockdown and sank in a matter of minutes.
Pride of Baltimore: Parrott discusses how the owners and operators of this replica "Baltimore Clipper" dealt with a change in the vessel's purpose. Over time it changed from from static dock side waterfront attraction to a wide ranging sailing ambassador for the city of Baltimore. This case underscores the importance of the purpose to which a ship is to be put, changes to this purpose and corresponding changes to the vessel to accommodate this and what effects these may have on the stability and safe operation of the ship.
Maria Asumpta: This is an interesting case of how shore side management and the operation of the vessel at sea intersect. Weather was not a factor in this case and this makes for a very interesting study in command of a ship and how the decisions can compound to put the ship in jeopardy. Parrott does a very good job of examining the decisions made giving insight into all the options a master has to manage while in command.
This is one book I will re-read occasionally. It is also one I will tell my friends about and sit down and discuss with them. Definitely a keeper.
To give you some idea how well researched this book is, here are the bibliographic references from the index. I think I'll be looking up some of these books and films.
Auxiliary Sail Vessel Operations (Chase) 280
Bridge Team Management (Swift) 251
Die letzten Segelschiffe (The last sailing ships, film and book; Hauser) 25
The Last Grain Race (Newby) 25
The Last Voyage of The Albatross (Geig and Sutton) 80
Manual of Naval Architecture (White) 163
Odyssey at Sea (Wells) 25
The Onedin Line (TV Series) 113
Pamir ihr Untergang und die Irrtumer des Seeamtes (Pamir, her loss, and the errors of the maritime court; Willner) 39-41
Proud Canvas (film) 25
Report of the Formal Investigation (on Marques)
Sailing Adventures: Around Cape Horn (film and book; Johnson) 18 25
Song of the Sirens (Gann) 70, 72-73
A Square Rig Sailing Handbook (Scott) 245
Summary Report (of investigation into loss of Maria Asumpta)
Tai Pan (film) 117, 118,120
To Whom It May Concern From Friends of the Maria Asumpta 245
Twilight for the Gods (book and film; Gann) 70, 73
White Squall (film) 67, 90
Windjammer (Newby) 25
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