Excellent for those who enjoyed The Perfect Storm. The very sad story of the men of the Can Do, a pilot boat, and her crew who left the safety of Boston Harbor during the Blizzard of 1978. They were trying to help the crew of the tanker Global Hope that was foundering in the storm. Tougias also follows the crew of several Coast Guard vessel that also ran into great difficulty during the storm. Much of what happened on the Can Do can only be surmised from the radio messages received from the Can Do which functioned until almost the end. Hard to imagine the families of the crew listening in on the transmissions.
It's ironic that the tragedies occurred just a few miles off shore. Visibility was so bad and conditions so horrific that little could be done to save them. It was literally every man for himself. Winds exceeded 100 mph and seas were over 40 feet high - hard to imagine navigating in such conditions with shoals all around.
Apparently, after the incidents recounted in this boat, the Coast Guard redesigned the 41 foot rescue boats to have a hatch in the top so men could exit from an inverted hull. They were supposed to all be self-righting, but sometimes s**t happens. Another great irony is that tanker didn't need any assistance.
Very well read and a real "page-turner."
