Be Prepared
William rushed to fix the leak. He knew the
boat could not take on a lot of water before it
would sink. But he was too late. In only a few
minutes, the water was up to his waist. William
and Simonne had to react quickly. They hurried
to fill their
life raft
with supplies. The sailboat
only stayed afloat for 15 minutes before it sank.
It was enough time to gather important things
they needed. William and Simonne had cans
of food, jugs of water, and blankets. They even
had a desalination device. These devices make
salt water drinkable. They also had fishing line,
a knife, and a
compass
. Simonne said, “If God
had given us a list and said this is what to take,
we couldn’t have done better.”
Although they were well prepared, it was hard
to be lost at sea. Simonne hated the taste of raw
fish. William had to encourage her to eat what
they caught in the ocean. Every day they hoped
for rescue. Sometimes sharks would circle them.
Once a shark tore a hole in the side of the raft.
They were able to repair the damage, but they
knew they would not be safe until rescue came.
life raft:
a small boat designed to save people in
emergencies at sea
compass:
a device with a needle that always points
north, used to find direction
8
IRON WILL
