Maurice and Maralyn marry in the 1960s - him an awkward loner, she an optimistic adventurer.
They soon decide to jettison the trappings of a seemingly successful life and sell their house to pay for a boat in which to sail to New Zealand.
The main part of the book is the tale of that voyage and their days lost at sea when the boat sinks.
It’s fascinating reading and as much about their love and support for each other as their sailing.
The structure of the book is a little disjointed - they decide on a second major voyage but we don’t hear a lot about it and then we’re catapulted into their old age.
But I liked it very much: the story of two non-conformists who live out their dreams and jump straight back in when they fall is really inspiring to read.

Books and Bao Review: "Filled with danger, unwavering hope, and tender moments, the true story of Maurice and Maralyn's survival against the odds is a testament to the enduring power of love and the indomitable human spirit.

The couple spend 118 days lost on a tiny raft on the Pacific Ocean with limited resources and facing the harsh realities of the open sea, their love for each other is truly put to the ultimate test.

Their journey takes them from the UK to South Korea, Hawaii, and California in the seventies with a truly nail-biting adventure in between. It's a page-turner full of adventure, tenderness, highs, and extreme lows."

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Goodreads review: "I had never heard of the shipwrecked couple Maurice and Maralyn before picking this up, and it's hard to believe this ever happened and that they genuinely did survive being out on the Pacific Ocean for 118 days.

My partner and I were laughing because Maurice considered ending it all almost immediately and Marlyn holding them together with often unhinged blind optimism is absolutely how it would go down if we found ourselves shipwrecked.

I have such a fondness for stories of married couples getting through tough times together and this is where this book shines, it's a book full of touching and tender moments both at sea and in the aftermath where they end up rescued by a South Korean crew, and tour Korea, Hawaii, California, and beyond as their reluctant fame precedes them.

Being someone who has had a lot of skipper friends, friends with houseboats, and those who prefer life at sea, I couldn't help but think of them fondly whenever the couple talks about how suffocating they find life on land in the UK and was not surprised that they wanted to be immediately back at sea after their ordeal.

The pacing of this book is the only thing that stops me from giving it five stars, it takes a little too long to get to them setting sail and stays a little too long as we follow the couple into old age and beyond. The middle feels like being on the waves yourself, excitement followed by calm, only for things to amp up again unexpectedly. It can also occasionally feel disjointed, especially towards the end where it feels like a journalist piecing together what information there is and it loses its narrative flow and voice.

Overall, this is a very special book and a quick read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys stories of people surviving against the odds. "

After they got married in the 1960s, Maurice and Maralyn were feeling stifled by their suburban British life So in the early 1970s, they sold their bungalow, had a boat built, finished the inside themselves, and set off to sail to New Zealand. Because they wanted to be truly away from 'civilization' they did not have a radio on their boat and they planned a route away from shipping lanes. They were happy and content with life at sea until one morning, a wounded whale rammed their boat, leaving a large hole. In less than an hour, they were on a life raft and dinghy with what few things they'd been able to salvage, watching their boat sink. Thus began their 118-day ordeal, drifting in the sea, trying to survive.

This book is the story of that event, but also of Maurice and Maralyn's relationship, which is almost a character in its own right. The relationship they had with one another was the foundation of everything--the choice to go on the voyage in the first place, the way it changed once the disaster had occurred, how things unfolded after it was over, and more. We see a bit about Maurice and a bit about Maralyn, but much more about Maurice-and-Maralyn. Today there is more acceptance of those who don't fit well within the confines of conventional society, but back then--at least in the world of US suburbia where I come from--there was little tolerance for those who didn't want to live that kind of life. I was fascinated by their strategies for dealing with that and by their survival strategies when things went horribly wrong.

It's a great book--part adventure story, part love story, part self-discovery story. I devoured it and I highly recommend it.

The true story of Maurice and his wife Maralyn, both unusual people, who take their boat on a voyage to escape the conventional life set out for most people.
When their boat is irretrievably damaged by a whale they are left afloat in their safety dinghy. What ensues is a test of their bodies, minds and will to live
The details have been taken from their extraordinary diaries.
A fascinating, gripping story

Maurice and Maralyn Bailey became household names in 1973 after managing to survive 118 days adrift at sea after their yacht sunk after being struck by a whale . The fickle hand of celebrity/notoriety has resulted in the story of this incredible couple being cast aside and lost in 50 years.
Sophie Elmhirst has taken the books written by the couple and other resources and retold the story of the Maurice and Maralyn. If alive today the couple's story would be standing alongside Raynor Winn on the bookshelf. This is a tale of survival in the most extreme circumstances. The book captures the diversity in the couple's characters and how in many ways this complimented the marriage - balancing strengths and weaknesses and how in true love and life this recognised.
The excitement of escaping every day life is told with clarity but it is the palpable emotions of desperation and fear being stranded on the Pacific ocean with a dinghy and life raft that truly bring this book alive. Although in a wide open space , the feeling of a claustrophobia emanates off the page. It is clear that Maralyn was the motivator and the one that kept the couple alive in this time of disaster. The subsequent tale of rescue and life beyond the 1973 event conveys the determination to return to sea and the love the couple had for each other but there is also a sense of life never returning to what they dreamed.Maurice recognises that despite the extreme circumstances they endured by the time they return to England more focus and praise is given to footballers and pop stars - nothing has changed.
This is a moving retelling of a survival story and deserves to be read and recognised by new generations and readership.