The Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of the Fantome

Carrier's book is well-written, blending the track of Hurricane Mitch with the track of the doomed Fantome. Carrier makes the Windjammer crew and company come alive, but at the same time reminds us that the larger tragedy took place on the mainland (Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala) where more than 20,000 lost their lives.Carrier doesn't really point fingers, nor does he totally exonerate the Windjammer company in the tragedy (old, underpowered ship, plus questionable decision-making in starting a cruise with a hurricane lurking nearby). In the manner of the best reporting, he lets readers come to their own conclusions. As a passenger on Windjammer ships myself (but not the Fantome), I realized how well he captured the essence of a Windjammer cruise without ever having been on one. This made me trust his reporting on the other matters more.

In "The Ship & the Storm" Jim Carrier has given us a valuable memorial to a tragic loss of life. Additionally, it is an exciting page turner which vividly describes the experience of a killer hurricane.Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras in October 1998. As readers discover in this book, it also amazed seasoned hurricane researchers with it's unpredictability & bizarre readings. In 24 hours Mitch exploded from being a tropical wave that weathermen were writing off as it weakened, into a killer Category 4 hurricane that would become one of the strongest ever recorded. Meanwhile, off the coast of Honduras, Windjammer Cruises' flag ship "the Fantome" was herding it's flock of vacationers thru the Bay Islands of Honduras. The Captain, Guyan Marsh, was the "golden boy" of Windjammer, beloved by both crew & passengers. Jim Carrier introduces us to Guyan & the crewmembers. We come to know them as individuals & care about them. We also get to experience Fantome's last 2 cruises day by day thru the eyes of her passengers."The Ship & the Storm" builds suspense inexorably, alternating between the Fantome & the hurricane watchers in Miami. When Mitch & Fantome do meet, the descriptive passages of what the experience of a Category 5 hurricane is like will terrify you. The author is extremely fair, refusing to assign blame for the loss of the Fantome to anyone. The most valuable aspect of "The Ship & the Sea" tho, is as a memorial to the wonderful crew of Fantome. Guyan Marsh & his men sound like exceptional people, & the world is a lesser place for having lost them.

It's hard to be unbiased having honeymooned on the Fantome, but I think most readers will agree - this is a good book. For me, it brought some closure to the story that I have followed since first hearing that Fantome was missing. I had searched the internet, the wire services, Windjammer's chat room for news as the drama of Mitch unfolded. Like flotsam and jetsam of the wreckage, news of Fantome's demise came in incomplete pieces. This book assembles these pieces from several perspectives and does an admirable job of illuminating Fantome's storm shrouded fate. Jammers will certainly enjoy the book, but Carrier's book transcends the Windjammer audience. Carrier has crafted a compelling story illustrating the irony of judgement based on the advanced technology of hurricane forecasting to pilot an anachronistic tall ship into the eye of one of the century's most destructive storms.

This book tells the story of the Sailing Vessel Fantome, and its final encounter with Hurricane Mitch. This story is more compelling than Perfect Storm, in that much of what happened to the ship and crew is known. The majesty of tall ships adds to the dramatic atmosphere in a way a fishing boat cannot. This thoroughly researched and documented story is more meaningful and interesting than Isaac's Storm because of the timeliness and contemporary interviews. This is a story of the most basic man versus nature. It is easier to follow this storm than the one in Perfect Storm. Hurricane Mitch was followed by the modern world from its earliest moments to its predatory fury over Honduras. Jim Carrier has carefully researched and told the story of the Fantome and her history. He has recounted the last month of the ship and its aftermath without any of the sensationalism and second-guessing that was common in so much of the press and in magazine articles afterwards. And finally, he applied "Forensic Journalism" to draw some conclusions about those moments that we don't know what happened. This is a story that is a fine addition to anyone with an interest in stories of the sea and human drama. Of course, those who have been fortunate to sail on the tall ships will insist on owning this book.As I read this book, I was sailing aboard the S/V Polynesia, another ship of the Windjammer/Barefoot Fleet. To my east, two hurricanes were on the prowl. This added to the chill of reading this book. I knew the Fantome and her crew, and they have a permanent place in my heart. I followed the news closely and shared it with others. I imagined myself in Captain Guyan's place, and thought of the decisions that he would have made. And I cried with the memories as Amazing Grace was played when the sails went up. Jim Carrier had done a remarkable job with his research and this book. Once you read this book, you will understand the truth and the known details of what happened to this beautiful ship and her crew.

The story of the Fantome is a complex one, the company, the ship, the crew, and ultimately the weather all adding their own elements to her loss.Mr Carrier displays a blend of investigative journalism with a true taste of history as he follows the course of this mighty vessel to her final resting place. A heartfelt story of the seafarer's greatest Nemesis, "The Wind and the Waves".