Abandon Ship: Sinking in 30 Foot Waves

The weather and the sea were just horrific. The waves were being shredded by the wind. It was so strong. You looked out from the boat, and she was listing on her side. I remember thinking that maybe this is it…

Matt Lewis

In April 1998, 23-year-old Englishman Matt Lewis travelled to Cape Town, South Africa. Just a few days before, he was languishing in an office block in Aberdeen, Scotland. Now, he was at the world’s edge, about to embark on the trip of a lifetime. As a recent graduate in Marine Biology, Matt jumped at the chance to sign on as a Scientific Observer aboard a fishing boat named the Sudur Havid. The crew were sailing out to the Southern Ocean to catch Patagonian toothfish. The Southern Ocean is famous for its hostile deep-sea environment, giant swells, and some of the world’s most extreme weather. As an inexperienced seafarer, Matt had to trust the crew and the slightly dilapidated boat. It was going to be an adventure - he should treat it as such.

The trip didn’t start well. Just two days after setting off, the Sudur Havid was forced back to Cape Town to have its water pumps replaced. With pressure from the owners to start the fishing trip pushing down on them, the captain accepted smaller pumps than he would have ideally liked. Still, the engineers were happy that they would do the job. Before long, they were back out at sea and motoring south, trying desperately to make up for lost time.

It was a decision that would come back to haunt them.

On April 22nd, the Sudur Havid finally reached the windswept mountain island of South Georgia. Besides a small military base and a basic harbour, this remote spit of land was uninhabited. Day after day, the fishing lines went out - but it soon became clear that the waters around the island were not as rich as they’d hoped. They were simply not catching enough fish. Eventually, the captain cut his losses and relocated the Sudur Havid to an area northwest of South Georgia, another one hundred and fifty miles or so from land. The area should yield more fish, but it was also more exposed to the expanse of the South Atlantic - and its polar weather.

On June 6th, 1998, two months into the expedition, Matt woke up feeling that something was different. Howling winds rocked the ship vigorously from side to side. As Matt made his way along the boat to scribble his morning observations, he noticed it was taking on more water than usual. As an engineer tried to clear the pumps, the Sudur Havid rolled onto her side, and, with a huge bang, the catches on the external doors broke under the pressure, letting in a crushing flood of water. Within seconds, the water was waist-high. Then, chest high. A terrifying chorus of screams soon filled the half-submerged room. The boat was sinking. Fast. 

All of the water was on the starboard side, almost up to the ceiling. The lights were fizzing and spluttering. You just think, “Oh, God…”

Matt Lewis

You can listen to the episode here to find out how Matt managed to make it to safety…