"A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck| Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider

How about a perilous sea voyage to spice up the dog days of summer? If you’re looking for a survival story to keep you on the edge of your seat look no further than “A Marriage at Sea.” This non-fiction, fast-read has a novel-like feel, making it certain to appeal to a broad range of readers.

  Author Sophie Elmhirst kickstarts the narrative with a fluke happenstance that capsizes the 30-foot yacht Maurice and Maralyn Bailey are commandeering in their round-the-world trip from England to New Zealand, in 1972. The dying sperm whale, 10 feet longer than their sailboat, flails in the ocean beside them, damaging their vessel before the huge mammal sinks into the depths.   

          After this heart-racing attention getter, Elmhirst relates Maurice and Maralyn’s back stories, an unusual couple who fit together like puzzle pieces. Their shared love opened the door to the exciting times they craved.

Growing up, Maurice was a sickly child with few friends. His experiences seem to have stunted his ease in social situations. He saw no reason to father offspring and bring little ones into the world who were as quirky as he was. An outdoorsman who never really fit in, Maurice was instantly drawn to pretty, daring Maralyn because she marched to a different drum. She embraced rugged walks in the Lake District that he suggested, even when conditions were anything but pleasant. When Maurice proposed, he was shocked that Maralyn agreed to marry him and admitted she didn’t relish having children either.

The last thing Maralyn wanted was a conventional lifestyle. She craved excitement. A few years after their wedding, when life seemed predictable and dull, Maralyn suggested they sell the home they’d bought, everything in it, and use the money to buy a boat and sail around the world. Maurice agreed and a plan was set in motion.

Once the boat was built, it took the couple four years to outfit it for the voyage, stocking it with provisions and necessities for the journey. Thoughtful planning went into the effort to prepare for the years-long voyage, but there were omissions that cost them. In an effort to be truly independent and self-reliant, Maurice opted out of taking along a radio transmitter, or other electronic equipment. He’d captain with a compass and depend on the night skies to guide them. What transpired on the couple’s 119-day ordeal in an inflatable rubber raft defies imagination, as does their life following the near-death experience.

“Marriage at Sea” is thrilling and well written, rife with vivid descriptions certain to make readers feel they’re weathering life-or-death challenges on the sea with this odd couple. It’s also a story of retaining hope in the direst of circumstances, a quality Maralyn possessed that carried them through. The Bailey’s depended on each other and, as strange as it may seem, didn’t let their first perilous voyage sour their taste for further adventures and ocean-going feats.

Buy the Book.