Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) and Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin) leave Tahiti. On October 12, 1983 , Tami Oldham Ashcraft and her fianc, Richard Sharp, found themselves in the path of Hurricane Raymond as they sailed a 44-foot yacht across the Pacific Ocean. With the engine lost, she made a sail from a broken pole and a storm jib, and set up a pump to keep the cabin from flooding. Using a broken pole and a storm jib, Ashcraft fashioned a makeshift sail and managed to pump the water out of the cabin. Despite that, the ship was miraculously still afloat. Finally I shouted to Richard, Is this it? Then, check out these five amazing survival stories. We'll have a lot to talk about!" They tried to escape its path. Woman whose fianc vanished from yacht has incredible story about surviving 41 days at sea made into Hollywood movie. The experienced sailors were delivering the luxury boat Hazana from Tahitis Papeete Harbor to San Diego on what was supposed to be a routine passage. They married in 1994, had two children, and live on San Juan Island, Washington. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. While routing calculation estimates x numbers of days at sea, add 15-20% to that value and make it your benchmark for food, water and fuel supplies. You cant even fathom it unless youve been through one. Adrift (2018) is indeed based on a true story. At first, the Adrift movie seems to unfold differently than the true story. I was never going to fall in love again. Actress Shailene had to survive on 350 calories a day in order to lose enough weight to portray Tami in her emaciated state a diet she calls f***ing miserable. I just wept.. I had a sextant and sight reduction tables for air navigation. The first [rule] is: Dont mess with Mother Nature, she says. They believe this will be a side trip on their cruise around the South Pacific and New Zealand. Ashcraft eventually settled in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. Now her ordeal and the extraordinary memoir that followed have been made into a big-budget Hollywood film, Adrift, set for release in June, and featuring British actor Sam Claflin as Richard and Shailene Woodley as Tami. Relying on her sextant, canned fruit salad and sardines, and the hope that shed picked currents that would drift her toward Hawaii, Ashcraft spent 41 days pushing herself to survive. The death toll rose to 62 in the migrant tragedy off Italy's southern coast after rescue crews recovered three more bodies on Monday, driving home once again the desperate and dangerous boat . Then everything went still, and above the roar of the wind and waves Tami heard Richard scream Oh my God as he was hurled overboard. He, a deckhand and his wife at the time, were aboard. Tami could not reach him before she was knocked out and sailed into oblivion. But for all the drama, it is the love story woven into the tragic tale that has captured hearts. It had to have a been a freak wave of at least 60 feet," he said. A second important victory. Shailene Woodley plays Tami Oldham Ashcraft, who spent 41 days at sea in a wrecked yacht. The Real Survival Story Behind Adrift. For more than 40 days, with her boat crippled, equipment smashed and heart broken, 23-year-old Tami somehow endured the elements threatening to annihilate her and then conquered them and she did so thanks to the guiding spirit of her dead fianc, whose insistent voice, day by day, had urged her on to a seemingly impossible survival. Within 48 hours, Raymonds trajectory changed and it was heading further to the Northwest. On October 12, the vessel was caught in the path of Hurricane Raymond. Determining that San Diego was too far away, she aimed for Hawaiistill a journey of 1,500 miles. Overwhelmed with grief and shock, Tami was initially paralysed, unable to comprehend the truth. HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The movie "Adrift," tells the real-life story of a woman who navigated a hurricane-wrecked sailboat across the Pacific to Hawaii. A disastrous reality was less than two weeks away, in the shape of tropical storm Raymond, which tore out of the blue, hit hurricane force then held its peak intensity for two catastrophic days. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. For it was shortly afterwards, on Day 40, that Hilo Harbour on Hawaii and salvation came into view. Seven sheep escape from New Jersey slaughterhouse, find new sanctuary home. Her fiance was tossed overboard by the storm and is now classified lost at sea. The movie depicts the events leading up to their trip as well as the storm and its aftermath, but the movie doesnt tell quite the whole story. She worked furiously to rig the one remaining sail and a partial spinnaker pole to gain steerage for the boat. Hurricane Raymond battered the vessel on Oct. 11, overturning it and snapping both of its masts about 1,600 miles southeast of Hawaii, Ms. Oldham toldauthorities. His safety line trailing in the water behind the 44ft vessel told her she would never see her love again. It saved my life.. Among the books admirers were screenwriters Aaron and Jordan Kandell. Asked to sail Hazana home, they jumped at the chance of a few blissful weeks alone with just the horizon for company. Despite courageously battling the giant waves, the Hazana was pitchpoled (rolled end-over-end) when she slipped down into a trench between waves. I had a sextant and sight reduction tables for air navigation. I had an EPIRB (emergency position-indicating radio beacon) onboard that I sent up, but I dont think it actually worked. HILO, Hawaii -- A woman from San Diego was rescued in a hurricane-battered sailboat, but her fiance was tossed overboard during the 61-day ordeal at sea. explore the world through the prism of knowledge. Her fianc was gone and her boat was badly damaged, the result of an unexpected category-four hurricane. In 1983, Ashcraft's fianc, 34-year-old British sailor Richard Sharp, was hired to deliver the 43-foot (13m) yacht Hazaa from Tahiti to San Diego. I wrote in the log all the time. YouTube Hazana after it was towed into the harbor at Hilo. A Coast Guard vessel met the boats and brought Ms. Oldham to shore at Hilo. Then the radio crackled to life with a warning that Hurricane Raymond was bearing down on them. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Serial world record breaker David Rush reclaimed a Guinness World Records title when he threw and caught a fire sword 135 times in 1 minute. That voice, she says, brought her back from the brink, helping her navigate with just a sextant and the stars above her head. Adrift story begins on September 23, 1983. 'The lady has some guts,' said Coast Guard Petty Officer Chris Rodenhurst, one of the first rescuers on the scene. The last thing Tami Oldham Ashcraft remembered before being knocked unconscious was hearing her fianc scream. Used daily at noon, it let Tami calculate how far north of the equator she was and bring her stricken boat in line with Hawaii, to stay on course to reach land. Ashcraft eventually settled in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. As she approached the harbor, she saw a large ship on its way out. Sharp, however, was gone. Though her experience was harrowing, and without a doubt a traumatic one, Tami Oldham Ashcraft eventually found solace by writing her story down. I need food, I must get my brain and body functioning.. Someday well tell our grandchildren how we survived Hurricane Raymond. Terrified Tami shouted back to him: If we survive.. However, Tami and Richard couldnt anticipate they would be sailing directly into Raymond, one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. It was nightfall and a perilous coral reef stood between her safety so, unable to risk going in until daylight, she endured one more agonising night before dawn broke and a rescue vessel sailed out from port to guide her home. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. It took her years to cope with the trauma caused by the loss of her fianc and the violence of the hurricane. It helped me to focus, to keep myself on track.. Sailors used to listen to radio broadcasts on shortwave receivers, a boat makes noise at sea, and there wasnt a replay button in case part of the weather forecast wasnt fully heard or understood. Its very stressful on the body: you re scared for one thing, as you dont really know what youre in for, and then the complete pounding of the boat. Adrift, a drama adventure movie about sailing the high seas. What really happened to Tami Oldham and Richard Sharp on their journey across the Pacific? Tami Oldham remained unconscious for 27 hours after hitting her head when the boat capsized during the hurricane. Furniture, debris and cans of food floated all around her. Yet even the big-screen treatment could hardly be more dramatic than the true 1,500-mile solo epic that Tami describes in Red Sky In Mourning: A True Story of Love, Loss And Survival At Sea, which will be re-published next month as Adrift. Despite courageously battling the giant waves, the Hazana was pitchpoled (rolled end-over-end) when she slipped down into a trench between waves. So I basically used the sun to navigate. It is the only collaboration between Glover and Pesci outside of the Lethal Weapon series. Definitely the hardest part was dealing with Richard being gone, Ashcraft told the Chicago Tribune in her first interview about her experience after her book was published. 20 days into the journey, they were caught in a Category 4 hurricane, bringing with it 15m waves . Moments later she heard him scream Oh my God! and her world was thrust into darkness. The movie, directed by Baltasar Kormkur ( Everest, The Deep) and starring Shailene Woodley as Ashcraft and Sam Claflin as Sharp, hits theaters this month. HILO, Hawaii A woman from San Diego was rescued in a hurricane-battered sailboat, but her fiance was tossed overboard during the 61-day ordeal at sea. They had already spent a year and a half together on the Pacific, delivering and mending boats. Tami navigated approximately 1,500 miles over a span of 41 days before reaching Hilo, Hawaii. Ukrainian drone crashes 60 miles from Moscow, prompting Putin military order, Couples consider third and fourth partners in 'Seeking Brother Husband' coming soon to TLC. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. I tore it apart because I couldnt get it to signal and the electrical board inside was all corroded. Hurricane Raymond, a category-four hurricane, surprised the couple by changing course sooner than they expected. Actress Shailene had to survive on 350 calories a day in order to lose enough weight to portray Tami in her emaciated state a diet she calls f***ing miserable. Thursday 4 April 2019 In September 1983, 23-year-old American sailor Tami Oldham Ashcraft set to sea for a 31-day crossing from Tahiti to San Diego, California. It was 27 hours before she regained consciousness to an eerie silence and utter devastation. She was then able to work out her latitude using nautical maps. Message in a bottle travels more than 185 miles in Australia. Though she still carries the memory of her experience and her fianc with her every day, shes gotten married, has two children, and is the picture of happiness. At another time, perhaps they could have. The True Story Of Adrift And Tami Oldham Ashcrafts Survival At Sea. The mast was broken, the sails in shreds and the boat itself flooded with water. And it has now been turned into a Hollywood movie, Adrift, with British actor Sam Claflin, 31, as Richard and Shailene Woodley, 26-year-old star of the Divergent films, playing Tami. Although Tami was still struggling with the head injury, she managed to attach the sail to a broken pole and raise it. Advertisement. Three weeks before the deadly storm, Ashcraft and her fianc Richard Sharp set out on what should have been a routine trip. It took her years to cope with the trauma caused by the loss of her fianc and the violence of the hurricane. How long was Tami Oldham stranded on the yacht? Also, now electronics are so much better and waterproof., But she did emphasize that her sextant was what saved her life. Less than three weeks into the trip, Ashcraft and Sharp encountered Hurricane Raymond, which produced 40-foot waves and 140-mph winds. Tami once recalled: We hugged, laughed, made love and relaxed into 20 days of paradise.. As the ship was being hit by 40-foot (12m) waves and 140-knot (72m/s) winds, Sharp sent Ashcraft below deck. Unable to outsail the ferocious Hurricane Raymond, Sharp and Ashcraft fought desperately to keep Hazana afloat in the 40-foot waves and 140-knot winds. The ship pulled up alongside the Hazana. That's when Raymond changed direction. She shot off several flares before the 200+ foot vessel flashed its running lights and altered course. It had lost its masts, engine, radio equipment and its electronic navigation system, and Tami had lost the love of her life, her soulmate. The boat waslifted up to the wave'screst and then surfed down it's face at over 20 knots. Taking a 44ft luxury yacht from Tahiti to California, a voyage of some 4,000 miles across the glistening waters of the Pacific, was the chance of a lifetime for two avid young sailors. Today, Ashcraft lives on San Juan Island off the coast of Washington, where she still sails regularly. Eventually, a Japanese research ship noticed Hazana floating just outside the harbor and pulled her into Hilo. Tammy Oldham, 23, was rescued when a. "He daily kept me abreast of the path of Raymond, which was to the south of me and heading north west," Birchard said. We were terrified Raymond was catching us but there wasnt a damn thing we could do but sail and motor as fast and hard as possible. he said. Within 48 hours, Raymonds trajectory changed and it was heading further to the Northwest. Next, read about the worst natural disasters of the 21st century. 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