Abandoned (2015) Movie Script
(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
(HULL CREAKING)
(DISTANT RUMBLING)
What's that?
[PHIL] John! What's happening?
(LOUD RUMBLING)
Oh, my god!
What the hell?
(ALL YELLING)
NARRATOR (V.O.): The rogue wave came
out of nowhere, with no warning...
a 40-foot wall of solid water
hit us like a freight train...
and was gone before we knew it.
Suddenly we were upside-down...
with water flooding
through the companion way.
(YELLING)
Jim!
Are you okay?
- Okay? Fucking kidding, we're upside-down, mate!
- We're bloody sinking!
We won't sink. The boat will start rising
when it equalizes with outside, okay?
We're gonna die! We're gonna die! Jesus!
- No! Hold on! Hold on!
- (HULL CREAKING)
Shit... guys, grab anything you can!
The aft cabin is the
highest point! Come on!
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
Look, that's about as
good as we're gonna get it.
Rick! Rick! What are you doing?
Emergency beacon.
All right, come on.
I can't go in there.
Come on, Phil.
[JOHN] Get in!
What now? What the fuck do we do now?
Here... eat.
We're gonna die.
- We're rooted.
- Shut the fuck up.
She's gonna break up... sooner or later.
Storm or container ship, we're going down.
Just keep calm, okay?
That's the main thing.
We'll be all right.
So we just turn this
thing the right-side-up?
- Can't... impossible.
- Why not?
Once a multi-hull
capsizes, it stays that way.
Fucked on the drawing
board... bloody death traps!
How about we rig something up,
make a mast, sail upside-down?
She's 75 percent underwater,
all right... unnavigable.
Hey, we got food, we got water.
I got tanks full of
it, thousands of liters.
We just have to wait.
We'll be okay. I want you guys to relax.
JOHN (V.O.): The only way forward
was to adapt, learn to survive.
We needed to accept the
situation and go with it.
But all they could
think about was rescue.
(SAW CUTTING)
Mutilation.
Yeah, of a corpse.
Wouldn't need to do it, if
you'd built an escape hatch.
Now someone's gonna hear us, right?
How long before someone picks
up the signal, do you reckon?
Hard to say.
Not too many boats out
here... have to be a plane.
Well, how close do they have
to be to pick up a signal?
Depends on the conditions.
JOHN (V.O.): I'd missed my
scheduled departure date.
My original crew had dropped
out at the last minute...
and I needed to find
replacements at short notice.
Jim, check it out.
JOHN (V.O.): I wanted to sail
before the weather changed.
- John Glennie.
- Jim, pleased to meet ya'.
Yeah, good to meet you.
So what's the weather like
in Tonga this time of year?
Oh, it's the tropics, mate.
You know? Sun, warm, beaches...
more beautiful women than
you can shake your stick at.
I like the sound of that.
Yeah, the Friendly Islands!
Could do with a cook. You
got any sailing experience?
Absolutely none.
Some... a bit.
Oh, well. Yeah, it doesn't matter.
I just need extra bodies to keep watch.
How long would it take?
Mm... two weeks tops.
Trade winds are pretty
strong this time of year.
You guys should come on down, check it out.
Sure.
Could be just what you need, mate.
Eh? Get away for a bit,
time to think, clear the air.
- What about you?
- Maybe.
Seriously?
Sure, why not?
Doctor phoned this morning.
Going to see her tomorrow, but
it looks like I'm in the clear.
Latest scan says it's retreating.
Fantastic, man. Fantastic.
Rose Noelle, leaving two
days time. What do you reckon?
[MARTHA] Go on. Write them down.
C'mon, Martha. Don't do this.
I mean it. Write them down.
What?
The people I'll have to get
in contact with when you drown.
Oh, for Christ's sake, have some faith.
You've never been to sea in your whole, damn,
stupid, landlocked life. You can barely swim.
We decided to take a break to see
if this is what we really want.
Not that kind of break.
That guy's gonna have you
cooking dawn till dusk.
That is, when you're not throwing
up. You get seasick in a kayak.
Look, I'm sorry I can't be on call
for you, but I really need to do this.
Not your last will and testament.
Just a name and phone number in the States.
Don't forget that. You'll need it.
I'll wait in the car.
[RICK] Knows how to pick her moments,
doesn't she? Bloody hour of departure.
I s'pose, oh, you know Martha, she's probably
just thinking of the worst that could...
Neither of us are
exactly keen on this idea.
But it's good you're going. It's important.
No regrets, all that.
Uh... we'll say goodbye here.
Oh, you don't want to come down?
No, I'm not big on public farewells.
And it looks like Martha is
in one of her moods, so...
(SNIFFING)
Be careful.
Don't fall overboard.
I won't.
See you in a couple of weeks.
Bye-bye.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Bye! See ya'! Love you!
Oh, this is gonna be so good for him!
- See ya, Dad!
- Bye, Dad!
- See ya.
- Bye. Bye, baby! Bye.
Be nice to your mum! Be good!
Oh, hey, don't be like that!
Us girls, we'll look after each other.
Where's your mate?
[KAREN] Is she all right?
Oh, come on, cheer up. They'll be fine.
Just think of all the fun you'll have when
you get him back, he'll be hot to trot!
No, it's... it's not
that... we're breaking up.
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
Hey, Jim, give Phil a
hand with the fenders.
JOHN (V.O.): I'd waited a
long time for this adventure.
Unfortunately, I wasn't sharing
the first leg of the voyage...
with the men I wanted,
but at least I had a crew.
Once we made landfall in
Tonga, I would replace them.
This voyage was going to take me back to my
old cruising haunts of the South Pacific.
New beginnings, a fresh
start, love and adventure.
I had invested everything
I had in Rose Noelle.
She was my pride and
joy, my home, my haven.
What do you reckon, Jim?
Jim looks a bit green around the gills.
Yeah, he'll be alright.
She's all yours, mate.
- Oh, yeah, okay.
- ANNOUNCER (ON RADIO): The extended marine forecast...
for all of New Zealand
until the 6th of June.
An intense tropical cyclone is situated
off the east coast of the North Island...
with south-westerly gales gusting to
50 knots and seas rising to 6 meters.
For all of the east coast...
severe weather warning...
For all of the west coast
from Terawhiti to Cape Egmont.
JOHN (V.O.): This
was music to my ears.
There'd be no beating into the wind.
We'd sail on a broad reach all the way to
Tonga, and make faster time than I'd hoped.
What's he doing?
Don't know. Look's as those
he's putting up more sails.
[JOHN] A plane would have to be
close. Within a 100 nautical miles.
Come on, John, honestly.
How long before they find us?
What's she gonna remember of me... of us?
[RICK] John?
Five days.
It's okay, mate. Five days
and we'll be out of here...
according to the oracle.
JOHN (V.O.): I estimated our position to
be about 140 miles off the east coast.
The EPIRB signal was well outside
the reach of domestic aircraft.
We'd need to pin our hopes
on an international flight.
Jesus, I can't breathe!
It's time you took a turn back there.
- Oh, I was just...
- Oh, shit!
Can't be much longer now. Surely,
somebody's gotta hear that signal.
They will. We've been
pretty lucky up till now.
Lucky? In what way have we been lucky?
If one of us had been on deck when that
wave hit, it would've been curtains.
If we'd cut the parachute,
we would've been fine.
Hey, it was your idea to put it out
in the first place. Remember that.
What's that supposed to mean?
You knew the storm was coming.
You put us out here! You risked our lives!
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Right, Rick. Let her go!
JOHN (V.O.): Leaving on a journey
and arriving at a destination...
is the best part of cruising.
To be honest, I dislike blue water
sailing, it bores me to tears.
The excitement of bad weather and
long night watches soon wears off.
For me, it was all about seeing the
world and taking my home with me.
There's a man who knows what he's doing.
We're flying along, mate.
She's got a great turn of speed.
Oh, yeah. She's fast,
just how I like my women.
So, who've you left behind? Do
you have someone in Australia?
More interested in who I
could be sailing towards, mate.
Hey, who's the lady in
the picture down below?
Now that is the original Rose
Noelle, Tahitian princess.
I named the boat after
her. Love of my life.
Do you still love her?
In spirit.
We're going a bit fast,
John? Don't you think?
I mean, we're not in that
much of a bloody hurry, are we?
Well, I want to get as far
as we can before nightfall.
- But why?
- Well, the weather's changing.
The weather's changing? What
do you mean? What's it doing?
Well, there's a storm coming.
We're going to catch it.
It'll be on us pretty soon. And
then we'll do some real sailing.
(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)
JOHN (V.O.): A little
knowledge is a dangerous thing.
I don't like this. I
really don't like this.
JOHN (V.O.): Phil had limited
coastal sailing experience.
Maybe that's why he was so
anxious. His fear was contagious.
How long's this going to last?
What's the big surprise?
If you guys heard the marine forecast,
you would've known about this.
This storm's gonna blow us all
the way to Tonga in no time.
You sailed us into a storm on purpose?
Get us... come on! Get
on the radio now! Fuck...
Call the Coast Guard. Get us a helicopter.
Get us off. Hello? Is the Coast Guard...
Hey, hey, hey! That radio's short-range.
There's no one out here to hear you.
- Why?
- Why what?
Why is it short range?
Because I don't have a license.
Why not?
'Cause I don't believe in them,
and I don't want to waste the money.
When you're out here, you're out
here. That's the journey you're on.
Fuck you, mate! We're gonna flip!
Look, we're not gonna
flip. This yacht can't flip.
I've sailed 40,000 miles in one of
these. This is just another blow.
- And when was that, 20 years ago?
- Yeah.
I built this baby with my own hands,
we've already crossed the Tasman together.
You're safe, Rick. Relax.
Oh, God.
What about a sea anchor?
You got one of those?
What for?
Well, to stop us bouncing
round while we ride it out.
Yeah.
Have you got one?
Of course, I have...
Well, then let's throw it
out, slow us down a bit.
No way, it's brand new.
It cost me a lot of money.
- For Christ's sakes.
- The wind turn and goes.
- Let's take take a vote.
- Yeah.
It's not a bloody democracy, mate.
Hey, fuck you! Where is it?
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
Okay, throw us the bag!
Okay, hold onto the bag!
- Use this rope!
- Got it!
Ready?
Now!
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
JOHN (V.O.): If I made one
big mistake, this was it...
allowing myself to be bulldozed
by a terrified crew...
with no experience of
blue water sailing.
The noise of waves smashing against
a multihull is like gunfire.
That should do the trick.
JOHN (V.O.): It can be terrifying
if you're not used to it.
(LOUD BANG)
What the... What the hell was that!
Chute must've fouled.
- Then we've got to free it.
- No, too dangerous.
It's pulling us side-on.
Well, you make a mistake pulling it
in, you could lose a finger or a hand.
Then we cut it loose.
No. Hey! The tiller's lashed.
All we can do is sit tight and wait it out.
We can't leave the chute like that.
I'm the skipper, Rick, remember?
[JOHN] Get some sleep. We'll sort it
in the morning when conditions improve.
COMEDIAN (ON TAPE): So we just
locked ourselves down in the scrum...
This will put a smile in your
eye and some lead in your pencil.
What's that?
Epirb. We can set it to send out distress
signals, any plane flying over, it'll pick it up.
COMEDIAN (CONT'D): He had
a double jointed arse.
Mick, me mate the master farter.
Put the art back into farting
with his custom tailored farts.
Mick, me mate the master
farter broke new ground...
in breaking wind with
his double jointed arse.
[RICK] You risked our lives! What
are you after, eh? Insurance money?
I'm not insured. I don't believe in it.
I'm insured with the Gods,
not the bottom feeders.
Hey, you're in my space, mate.
What happens if a wave flips
the boat the right side up?
Are we gonna be fine with all this water?
It can't happen, okay. It won't happen.
No, no. We've got to cut an escape hatch.
You are not cutting another
hole in this bloody boat.
Now you have some respect for her, for
me, for everything I've put in to it.
No bloody way. This is our
lives we're talking about.
If you won't do it, I will.
(SAW CUTTING)
JOHN (V.O.): It was painful to watch,
like the violation of a loved one.
But Rick was not a
man to argue with.
Once he made his
mind up, that was it.
(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)
JOHN (V.O.): Breaking outside
didn't make them feel any better.
Seeing the magnitude of what we were up
against, their morale sank to a new low.
Any hope of a quick rescue
seemed a distant prospect.
Rick, Rick... the light.
Wait a minute. It will come back on.
That's it.
JOHN (V.O.): Once the EPIRB
battery died we were on our own...
outside standard flight
paths and shipping lanes.
JOHN (V.O.): Wind, current and the
gods were taking us for a ride.
The only control we
had was over ourselves.
Rick, Jim, give us a hand outside, eh.
JOHN (V.O.): We needed to put
differences behind us and work as a team.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
Okay.
I got it.
All right.
Got it.
Phil, give us a bloody hand, would ya'?
I'm busy.
I don't know why you're doing that anyway?
No point. Don't bother.
We need to make ourselves more visible to
passing ships, planes, whatever. That's why.
[PHIL] What else is down there?
Oh, Jesus! Watch what you're doing!
Take it easy, mate. I didn't mean to.
Screw you, Rick. Look! Look! I'm bleeding!
Oh, get over it. Jesus,
you're a bloody moron.
You...
- And we ration all food from now on.
- Who says?
It's the smart thing to do. We don't
know how long we're going to be out here.
And we're gonna get hold of the sails.
You're gonna dive for them, tomorrow.
I've told you already. You
can't sail this boat upside down.
And we make decisions by vote from now on.
Majority rules and we stick to the rules.
Used to be a cop, didn't
you? Hey, let it go, Rick.
Man, your emotional body
is starving your neuronet.
Have faith in the God within.
You can shove your dumb-ass
religion up your skinny ass.
Rick, pass me the cabbage.
Where's the knife? This one's shit.
Now... we got tuna.
There was a lemon somewhere laying
around in this leaking son of a boat.
All right, there we are. Okay.
When I was a young boy... I
wanted to sail around the world.
That's the life for me. Living on the sea.
Spirit of a sailor
circumnavigates the globe.
The lust of...
I just spent six months in a leaky boat.
Lucky just to be afloat.
What song is that?
[PHIL] That's a kiwi classic, mate.
No. Aotearoa. Yeah.
I've gotta get out of here.
[JOHN] Glisten like a pearl.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
I just spent six months on a leaky boat!
JOHN (V.O.): I think Rick
felt he'd lost Jim to us...
like someone had
stolen his girlfriend.
Or maybe something else was
going on inside his head.
Meanwhile back home, Jim's girlfriend
Martha was becoming concerned.
By now he should have
made contact from Tonga.
After three weeks adrift, no
one had begun searching for us.
[KAREN] I think it still works.
I haven't used it for a while.
Here you go.
Okay.
You're not gonna be able
to get through anyway.
What's that, Darren? What did you say?
You're not gonna be able to get through.
Gordon'll radio for you. He
arranged a time with John.
What do you mean?
Gordon's supposed to call
him and get his position...
but John's not gonna be able to call him or
name the boat, because his radio's illegal.
That's the deal.
The deal?
I heard him talking about it.
Gordon's gonna call him and
give him a weather forecast.
Well, why didn't you tell us this before?
Your dad wouldn't've have gone if he'd
known they didn't have a proper radio.
I don't know.
Hello? How do you drive this thing?
Hello?
Come aboard!
So... I reckon they're out here, somewhere.
Okay, let's give it a go.
6128.6... that's what John and I agreed.
It's almost half-past
8:00, he might be listening.
Argo calling Rose Noelle. Do you read me?
Your position, please. Over.
(GARBLED TRANSMISSION)
MAN (OVER RADIO): Argo...
...eight degrees south.
Was that 28 degrees south? Please
confirm or deny, Rose Noelle. Over.
MAN (OVER RADIO): ...south.
28 degrees south. I'm
sure that's what he said.
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
[JIM] Let me get up to you.
[RICK] What?
JOHN (V.O.): Something wasn't right.
But I'd filled the tanks to capacity
with fresh water before we left.
Where had it gone?
For the first time, I had
doubts about our survival.
When are you going to
check the water tanks, John?
John?
Checked them already.
And?
Empty.
What do you mean empty? There's no water?
Hang on. So, all the water you've
been talking about, in the tanks.
Thousands of liters... it's all gone?
What happened to it?
Where's all the water gone?
Well, it must've drained
out when we capsized.
[PHIL] Drained out? How come?
There are air vents in the tanks.
Why didn't you bloody well tell us? Well?
We need to stay calm.
Shit! You guys have got to
face facts. We're going to die.
There's no point about your stupid
mast or your stupid rationing.
We've all had it! Fuck the lot of you!
Phil.
Oh, watch out! Jesus!
Look out, the knife!
Get the knife back, fuckwit!
You dropped it! You get it back!
Hey, shit head, I brought a present for ya!
Put these on and piss off!
Eh? If we're all fucked,
why don't you swim for it?
- Bye-bye, Phil!
- Bugger off!
It's not my fault there's no bloody water!
Rick, stop it! Come on, Rick! Enough.
Fat, useless prick!
Rick! Rick! Stop it!
Rick! Leave him alone!
Okay, I'll go down and
look for the sails now.
I'll do it now, all right?
Is that good enough for you?
Yeah, why have you
suddenly changed your tune?
Because you're a dangerous man, Rick.
Things go wrong, things don't
go your way, you throw a wobbly.
You don't trust. I'll get the sails.
No, no, no, I'll do it!
You? Yeah, sure.
No, no, no. Bad idea, Phil. I should do it.
I know where they are.
Well, so do I. Fuck the lot of ya'!
Oh, Jesus...
What if he doesn't make it?
More of everything for the rest of us.
You're out of line, Rick...
seriously out of line.
Jesus.
Fuck!
(COUGHING)
JOHN (V.O.): Rick hated to lose control.
Any setback could send him into a rage.
He always needed someone to
blame for his predicament.
Usually it was me, but
it could be anyone.
It was only later I understood
what was really driving him.
He felt he was running out of time.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
Okay, so as you all know, the Rose Noelle
has not yet reached it's destination.
Does anyone recall anything that
John Glennie might've said...
about the course he was taking to Tonga?
It's more than a months since they set off.
They should've arrived in Tonga by now.
Hello? Rose Noelle. Come in. Do you read?
Hello? Rose Noelle?
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
Thank god. I knew it.
We're gonna make it.
JOHN (V.O.): It was a sign. I
knew we were being looked after.
I have told you, mate.
There's no fish out here.
Nothing lives this far away from land.
We're in a marine desert.
You've gotta try.
Hey, um,... maybe we could
have our water ration now.
Nope... still no sign of rain.
Hey, guys... check this
out. I've been thinking.
When we capsized, we
would've been about here.
Prevailing current is going that way,
taking us maybe 10, 20 miles a day.
So, after 34 days drifting, that
would put us right off the map.
But there's nothing there...
nothing until South America.
That's gonna take us...
At least eight months.
Possibly... or the current could take us
north along the line of the continent...
but well out of the sight of land.
And that would add another 1,000 miles.
1,000 miles.
Yeah.
Just you wait. You blokes
are gonna be famous.
What the fuck are you doing?
You're writing your memoirs?
Haven't made up my mind
up yet. Might be a book.
Might be a love letter to my ex.
Who? Rose Noelle? The poor bitch
you named this piece of crap after?
Why did she dump you anyway?
She didn't dump me. She died
in a plane crash, Pan Am 816.
She was on her way to join me.
Oh, yeah.
Nah, there's been many women since
my sweet Rose Noelle... too many.
Sure. I mean you're a real catch, hm? Sane.
Handsome, young, normal, sane... sane!
Rick, Rick. Let's
just... let's play a game.
Sure, why not?
Yeah, that's a good idea.
I'll play the winner.
Piss off!
You gotta take it easy on him.
I know he's annoying, but...
But nothing. Count this shit up.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Oh, shit!
Phil? Are you gonna tell them or shall I?
What?
You should do that outside.
It's too windy.
Phil lost the rod.
That was the only rig we had.
First the only decent
bloody knife and now the rod.
- How bloody thick are you?
- I'm sorry. Okay?
No, not okay. It's everything else
about you. You're a greedy, farting pig!
Look at your head, mate. You
look like you've been in a fight.
When're you going to learn
how low the fucking roof is?
I... I just wanna go home. I want my Karen.
Phil, it's okay... it's okay.
Hey, guys. Check this out.
Something I've been working on.
It's a collection system for water.
These are PVC pipes. I've got heaps
of them in the starboard pontoon.
What do you think?
I don't see how you... how
are you gonna cut the pipes?
Exactly. Look. How about...
Why don't we use the surface
of the hull as a catchment.
And we put wood along here and over here...
with drain holes here and here.
Yeah.
Hey, hey, good on ya, mate. Hey,
now you're pulling your weight. Eh?
Yeah. So, have we got any wood?
(DRAMATIC MUSIC FADES UP)
- Cheers, mate.
- Yeah.
JOHN (V.O.): You can survive a long time
without food, but not without water.
Over the weeks, we'd reduced
our rations to little more...
than two ounces of
liquid each, per day.
This better bloody work.
JOHN (V.O.): But now the
precious water was almost gone.
We were beyond thirst... suffering
the onset of dehydration.
- Rick.
- What's that?
A boat!
[JOHN] It's a yacht.
The beacon! Quick, get the beacon!
Come on! Come on! Quick. Yeah.
Guys! Guys! Guys! It's too far out.
They'll never see it. They'll never see it!
Fuel... generator fuel!
Oh, good on you, mate. Brilliant.
[RICK] Okay, stand back.
Here, chuck it on.
Come on... come on... come on!
Forget it. She's gone.
[JOHN] Yeah, a yacht like that
shouldn't be out here. It's a sign.
Yeah, a sign we're not as close
to South America as you thought.
No, it's a sign from
God. We're gonna be okay.
Enough! Okay? No more! You're
giving me a fucking headache!
Everything in life happens for a reason.
That yacht is a sign,
we willed her to appear.
Yeah, just like you willed that storm
to appear, eh? You're a fucking wanker!
God only knows what you
know. Don't you know that?
Everything comes from
within. Don't fight it.
One more word... I swear one more
word and I will fucking gag you!
Rick, Rick, Rick. Rick.
Yeah, thank you, God, for bringing us
this far and thank you for what is to come.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.): There is still
no contact with the missing crew...
of the Rose Noelle, which left Picton on
June the 6th with four local men on board.
The tri-maran was expected to arrive
in Tonga by the middle of the month.
It is now six weeks overdue.
Following an unsuccessful search by
RNZAF Orion, pressure is now mounting...
for a second search, despite the already
considerable expenditure of public money.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
That's it.
(RAIN FALLING)
It's raining! Water! It's raining!
Get the bottles!
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
The bottles! Go, go, go!
Oh, thank you, thank you, God!
40 days in the desert... thank you.
Woo! Look at this!
Ah! Woo-hoo!
Thank you, god!
Good work... woo!
They're alive. They're on their way.
Home?
Does Rick have a white cable-knit jersey?
No.
Hm, I see him in one...
very nice, and gumboots...
- on an island.
- Which island?
I've asked the guides, but they won't
tell me... the name is two words.
Five letters and seven letters.
Rick's guide is here with us now.
He's standing right behind you.
He's telling us they're safe.
Rick, Rick, come here,
come here! Rick! Come.
Ssh, fish.
Oh... come to Papa.
Oh, thanks to you there's no rod, no
bloody way of catching the bastard.
Come on, Harry. Come on. Come on.
Bugger. Nah, he'll be back.
Yeah. Don't worry. He'll be back.
I think I've got something.
- Oh, that's perfect.
- Yeah.
- And this?
- Okay.
Are we good?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're good.
We're good. That's all we need.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Oh, Harry's back! Quick,
ssh! Get the net. Get the net.
He's down there by the table.
Come on, Harry.
Slowly, mate. Slowly.
Come on, Harry. Come on.
Steady, Jim.
He's got 'im! He's got 'im!
I got him! I got him!
I got him! I'll take it.
- Jesus Christ.
- Take it.
Let me have him!
Harry, you beautiful,
beautiful, beautiful...
Oh, oh, my god.
Oh, Harry, you're a top fish...
and I just hope that you have
lots of mates just like you.
No fish in the sea, eh, John?
There will be now. They'll be
coming for the barnacles in the hull.
When are you gonna check
those gas tanks, John?
There's no telling how far they've corroded.
One mistake could blow us all to bits.
Come on. Let's just
appreciate what we've got.
[JOHN] We don't give thanks enough.
Thank you, God, for sending us Harry.
And please help John find his inner what have
you, so that we can use the bloody gas tanks.
Amen.
Amen.
JOHN (V.O.): Harry's friends
had begun to appear in numbers.
After two and a half months at sea, the
Rose Noelle had become a floating reef.
Our menu was expanding, barnacles, seaweed
and kingfish... plenty of kingfish.
Oi, imagine that fried.
I'm not gonna give up
on the gas tanks, John.
You find them... or I will.
You wouldn't like that.
I might hurt your precious bloody boat.
All right! All right!
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Okay, Jim! Turn it on.
(GAS HISSING)
Gas coming.
Shouldn't you be on your
knees, John? Praying?
Oh, here we go. All right.
Easy.
Try 'em. One, two, three.
You call those even?
Yeah, who's gonna get the big one?
They're all roughly the same size.
Pig's ass.
It's your birthday
tomorrow. Am I right, Rick?
You'll get first choice.
Don't worry, Phil. You
can have the biggest, mate.
Cheers.
Bloody beautiful.
Hollow victory, isn't it?
Could've had this months ago.
[RICK] He knew exactly
where those tanks were.
We didn't have to wait all this
time to have hot, bloody food.
We had to fight for everything. It's
like we're not suffering enough for him.
That's true, mate. It's true.
Every idea we have he scoffs at. He uses
knowledge of the boat to hold the power over us.
Hey, the most important thing is
we've got gas now and hot food.
How good's that?
You're even starting to
sound like him. Bloody wanker.
What the hell's wrong with you? He's the
one that got this whole thing rigged up.
But just... just be thankful.
Fuck you! Hey, why are you defending him now, eh?
Sad shit, pussy-whipped fucking yank!
Hey! Hey!
Guys! Jesus.
Oi.
JOHN (V.O.): Despite our
improving situation...
Rick's moods were becoming
darker, more erratic.
Not even Jim was safe
from his fits of temper.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Look.
Look at the breast meat on him.
- Roast chicken.
- Let's get him.
Yes!
(ALBATROSS SCREECHING)
He's got him! I got him! I got him!
Come. Come on.
Albatross burritos and
tomato puree... delicious.
You are a bloody artist, Jim.
[PHIL] What's supposed to
happen if you kill an albatross?
[JOHN] The Ancient Mariner was
doomed to wander the oceans forever.
The Ancient Mariner didn't fry
his, so I think we get a pass.
So much food, we could have people over.
Happy birthday, mate.
Nice one, Rick. Keep you warm on watch.
For he's a jolly good fellow
For he's a jolly good fellow
For he's a jolly good fellow
And so say all of us
- Hip, hip.
- Hooray!
- Hip, hip.
- Hooray!
What's up, man? You all right?
I couldn't have had a better birthday.
It doesn't make sense to be happy out here.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Most of us gathered here have
sailed the South Pacific...
...and most of us know John Glennie.
So far our requests to mount
another search have been fruitless...
so it may be that we have to
find the money ourselves...
some $15,000 per hour of flying time.
Does anybody recall anything that
he might have said about the route?
Yeah, can you tell us if you definitely
heard John's voice when you took the position?
The speaker never identified himself.
But you clearly heard Rose Noelle?
I think so.
- You're full of shit.
- Martha... please.
It is only because of your lies
that they searched the Kermadecs!
That was John's fourth way point.
It made sense to look for them there.
Bullshit.
Karen was there. She'll tell you.
There was so much interference.
We could hardly hear anything.
We know nothing. That's the bloody truth!
What we want is to search from
this line, 300 miles to the east.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.): Funded
by friends and family...
Another search has been mounted
for the trimaran Rose Noelle...
missing at sea now for
nearly three months.
20 minutes of flying time in this
direction before we turn around.
(SOFT MUSIC CONTINUES)
(BABY CRYING)
JOHN (V.O.): It had taken
nearly three months...
but finally we were
beginning to work as a team.
Each of us had a role.
We had food and water.
We could have gone on forever.
Farewell and adieu to
you fine Spanish ladies
Farewell and adieu
to you ladies of Spain
For we've received orders
to sail for old England
And perhaps never more
shall we see you again
Farewell and adieu
my fair Spanish ladies
Farewell and adieu
all you ladies of Spain
Do you think maybe
we'll need a bigger boat?
JOHN (V.O.): There was no
point in telling the others.
The ship was too far off to see us. It was
better to spare them the disappointment.
(UNZIPPING)
Rick! Rick! Get out here!
What's up, mate?
Tell me...
It can't be. Surely.
What is it?
Christ, you bastards! That's land!
That's land!
Feast your eyes, John! You son of a bitch!
I reckon we're about ten miles out!
John, you okay?
John... look at it.
Land, it's real, mate.
JOHN (V.O.): I couldn't find
words to describe how I felt...
relief, elation, disappointment.
I just knew it was coming to
an end, whatever that meant.
Perhaps that was what I was
afraid of. I didn't know.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
JOHN (V.O.): The others were looking
forward to lives they could return to.
Smile for the camera.
JOHN (V.O.): But my life was here, with
what was left of my ruined Rose Noelle.
I had nowhere else to go.
You know, we should have the record by now.
Record? What record?
119 days in an overturned boat.
It's gotta be some kind of record.
Jesus, John! Who gives a toss?
I told you. You blokes are gonna be famous.
Let's concentrate on getting on land first.
Yeah, I just want to get
back to Karen and the kids.
That'll do me.
Yeah, mate. Can't be.
What? What can't be?
When I was a kid, we used to go
on holiday on Great Barrier Island.
Ah-ha.
- [RICK] See that peak?
- [JIM] Yeah.
That looks like Hirakimata...
the mountain on the Barrier.
[JOHN] Well, all mountains look
pretty much the same from a distance.
I worked it out and it must
be an island off South America.
Nah, Hirakimata. Mount
Hobson. I reckon that's it.
Well, how could that be possible.
We've drifted thousands of
miles in the other direction.
You might be wrong.
JOHN (V.O.): Making landfall
is always dangerous.
The ocean striking a
land mass can produce...
a short, confused seaway, conflicting wind
and currents draw you in like a magnet.
John... Christ sake, put it on!
There's no need.
No more bullshit. Put the bloody thing on.
JOHN (V.O.): We could
almost touch the land...
but having no way of steering Rose Noelle, we
were in danger of being cast onto the rocks.
What was that?
Must be the mast... hitting the seabed.
JOHN (V.O.): If the mast were
driven up through the hull...
Rose Noelle could break apart
and throw us into the sea.
We've got to get off the boat.
We'll be all right, guys.
We're being looked after.
Fuck that, I'm gonna swim for it.
I'm with you, mate.
Too dangerous, mate. Just
over there, you'll be fine.
[JIM] John! John!
[PHIL] There's a bloody shark!
[JIM] Swim for the boat,
John! There's a shark.
Swim!
No, no, no. One more go. One more go.
[JIM] Come on, mate! Swim!
Come on, John!
Hold on! We've got it!
JOHN (V.O.): I was
done, exhausted...
but apart from a blow to the head
and a twisted knee, I was okay.
Thanks.
JOHN (V.O.): In the end, after
months of constant danger...
enduring storm and tempest, we
just drifted gently to shore.
And when Rose Noelle could
take us no further...
we slipped into the water
and waded to dry land.
What are you doing, John? Praying?
You blokes didn't have to worry.
We were always going to make
it. We should give thanks.
Let's just be thankful we made
it, mate, eh? That's enough.
Course, we did. What did I tell you?
Dry land... beautiful.
We were never in any danger...
not once... thanks to you.
What about the sail bag? Can anyone see it?
Let's go.
John, we're off, mate.
John... tell me that's
not a pohutakawa tree.
Toitoi... definitely New Zealand.
This way, guys. Looks like a track.
Oh, my god.
(MUSIC FADES UP)
Hello? Hello?
It's locked. What do we do? Break a window?
No, no, no, no. There'll be
a key. There's always a key.
My god, a chair.
- All right.
- I got the peaches.
Not connected.
JOHN (V.O.): I must have been in shock.
Inside a real house after so long.
Still think we're in South America, mate?
[PHIL] Jesus Christ.
JOHN (V.O.): I couldn't join
the party; the feeding frenzy.
[PHIL] What do you want?
JOHN (V.O.): All I could think
of was my poor Rose Noelle...
drifting helpless in the bay.
I wanted to return to her, but
I didn't have the strength.
Fuck.
Top up there, mate?
Oh, thank you, mate.
Cheers.
What are you up to, buddy?
Chopped sizzlers.
Need a hand?
No. I'm good, I'm really good.
Here. Cheers.
Cheers.
Look at this feast, this house.
We are four, bloody, lucky guys.
[JIM] Yes, we are.
A toast...
Tomorrow, with any luck, we find
a phone and we get off this island.
It's very unlikely the four of us will
ever be alone again. Well, not like this.
John, I want to thank you
for getting us through this.
It's because of you, the Rose Noelle
was a bountiful mother to us all.
To John.
John.
I don't know why you were so certain
that we were going to be saved.
And please spare us any more
of your crackpot theories.
Although it's hard to admit, I...
I guess you were right... in the end.
Cheers.
But, I love you guys... and I hope...
I hope that after all we've been
through, we can remain friends.
Famous friends. They'll give us all medals.
Yeah, to friends.
Oh, pudding!
Can't sleep.
How's your head?
It hurts.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
(KNOCKING)
Yeah, yeah.
Can I help you, blokes?
Who the hell are you?
And what are you doing in Jim's house?
Where are we?
What do you mean?
Great Barrier Island.
Hey, what's going on here? Who are you?
We're the crew from the Rose Noelle.
That trimaran that went missing?
[JIM] That's right.
No... you guys are supposed to be dead.
Really good to see ya'.
A few hundred meters
either side of that cove...
I would've been filling in a
report about four dead bodies.
No chance.
There you go, mate.
(PHONE RINGING)
Hello?
RICK (OVER PHONE): Hi, can
I speak to Heather, please.
Speaking.
Rick?
- RICK (OVER PHONE): Yeah.
- Rick?
It's me. Sorry, love,
I didn't recognise you.
RICK (OVER PHONE): Are you there?
Oh, g... oh, god, sorry...
yes, oh, darling...
HEATHER (OVER PHONE): I don't
believe it's true. It's really you.
Yeah, it's me. Um, look,
we're on Great Barrier Island.
We're heading into Auckland soon. Get the
first flight you can, eh? You and Mattie?
HEATHER (OVER PHONE): Yes, I will.
Oh, darling, I love
you, love you, love you!
Mattie, Mattie, it's
daddy! Yeah, oh, darling...
See you soon, okay?
(HEATHER KISSES RECEIVER)
[KAHU] Port of departure?
[JOHN] Picton.
Date of capsize.
(PHONE RINGING)
- Hello?
- JIM (OVER PHONE): Martha? It's me.
Are you there?
Yes, of course, I am.
JIM (OVER PHONE): They're
flying us to Auckland.
Can you please get on a plane...
and meet me there?
Please, Martha?
Okay.
JIM (OVER PHONE): Okay, bye.
That was a first.
Okay, you mentioned sightings of a freight?
(MUFFLED SCREAMING)
Listen. Hey, hey, hey.
(MUFFLED LAUGHING, CRYING)
KAREN (OVER PHONE):
Ohh, oh, my baby.
Yeah, Snookie Pooh... it's Snuggle Beard.
- KAREN (OVER PHONE): Oh, my god!
- Hey, babe. Jeez, I missed you.
KAREN (OVER PHONE): I love
you so much! I'm so glad!
Yeah, I know. I really missed you.
Yeah, well, you should
get a... Get a plane.
Yeah, get a plane to
Auckland as soon as you can.
- Yeah.
- KAREN (OVER PHONE): I love you so much.
Bye.
Oh.
John, your turn.
No.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
(REPORTERS YELLING)
Did you have any doubts that you'd make it?
- Not one.
- Why's that?
Faith... abiding faith.
- Mr. Glennie, I presume?
- Ah, yeah.
Ross Laing, Marine Transport
Division. This is Captain McKinley.
Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?
No.
Did you keep a log book, Mr. Glennie?
Yeah.
Any idea where it is now?
JOHN (V.O.): This was so unexpected.
Are you serious? Christ! Can't this wait?
If you want us to believe your story,
Mr. Glennie, you'd better co-operate.
JOHN (V.O.): After
all we'd been through.
What did you do for food and water all
the time you were supposedly adrift?
Um...
Rick?
Oh, Rick, darling.
[KAREN] Oh, darling.
JOHN (V.O.): I struggled to comprehend
how we could have survived...
so much and yet be and
treated with such suspicion.
I don't know what these men
have been doing for 119 days...
but they haven't been
drifting on the ocean.
JOHN (V.O.): And it
was only the beginning.
We had no inkling of what
we were about to walk into.
No one would believe us.
(BABY CRYING)
Damn it! Mattie, please?
Ssh...
ANNOUNCER (OVER RADIO): Many people are
wondering, what power and spirit they had...
these four men who spent July, August and
September adrift on the Pacific Ocean.
ANNOUNCER #2 (ON TV): Ministry
of Transport officials...
are to retrace the 119-day voyage of the
Rose Noelle with the use of a computer.
CALLER 1 (OVER RADIO): They
look too good to be true.
I mean no salt sores, far too well fed,
what did they eat out there all that time?
CALLER #2 (OVER RADIO): Who the
hell do they think they're kidding?
Bloody drug smugglers, I reckon. They're
having us on and it's all bull...
CALLER #3 (OVER RADIO): I
don't believe a word of it.
How can they be floating around for
so long without someone seeing them?
It's just impossible. It's just...
CALLER #4 (OVER RADIO): Okay, mate.
It's just not humanly possible.
I know what conditions are
like that time of year.
No yacht's gonna stay afloat
for even half that time, mate.
REPORTER (ON TV): Amid the euphoria, relief
and sheer joy at the survival of the crew...
some serious questions arise.
The Transport Minister has asked
for a preliminary investigation...
into the crew members' claims
of the 120-day ordeal...
which has attracted
widespread scepticism.
So what do you say, John,
in response to those...
who don't believe you? Is
there an alternative story?
You know, I... I couldn't give
a stuff what anybody thinks.
Jim, check it out. John's on the tele.
We were adrift all that time.
Survived only because we were careful
and clever and looked after each other.
For the rest of my life, I'll be
grateful to Phil and Rick and Jim.
Under the circumstances, they were
the best men I could have hoped for.
If you're watching
this, guys, I thank you.
REPORTER (ON TV): We needed
a miracle and we got one.
Skipper John Glennie claims his yacht was
capsized by a huge wave 3 days into their voyage.
Ah, bullshit.
No, no, babe. Hey, it's all right.
REPORTER (ON TV): But
now after surviving...
119 days drifting at sea, the Rose
Noelle broke up in a storm yesterday.
Mr. Glennie returned to the
wreck yesterday by helicopter...
accompanied by marine division investigators
who are trying to piece together...
the final voyage of the Rose Noelle.
Empty.
Do you wanna have a look at this?
I might've been wrong.
REPORTER (ON TV): It's perhaps New Zealand's
most miraculous survival story ever.
How four men in an upturned boat could
drift on the high seas without trace...
for nearly four months and
live to tell the story.
So remarkable was their tale of survival, that
some began to doubt that it ever happened.
But a report released today
backs up the incredible saga.
This inquiry with detailed
scientific evidence...
supporting it has demonstrated
that this is absolutely true...
and it is in fact is one of the great
stories of human survival on the seas.
The Rose Noelle skipper, John Glennie,
describes the report as fair and thorough.
Glennie says it answers
the doubts some people had.
JOHN (V.O.): Sadly, eight months after
our return, Rick died of a brain tumor.
Jim helped take care of him
and then trained as a nurse.
Phil went back to sea.
He even made several voyages across
the Pacific and fathered another child.
But despite the ordeal we had
survived so well together...
after we left the island, I never
saw Rick, Jim or Phil ever again.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
(HULL CREAKING)
(DISTANT RUMBLING)
What's that?
[PHIL] John! What's happening?
(LOUD RUMBLING)
Oh, my god!
What the hell?
(ALL YELLING)
NARRATOR (V.O.): The rogue wave came
out of nowhere, with no warning...
a 40-foot wall of solid water
hit us like a freight train...
and was gone before we knew it.
Suddenly we were upside-down...
with water flooding
through the companion way.
(YELLING)
Jim!
Are you okay?
- Okay? Fucking kidding, we're upside-down, mate!
- We're bloody sinking!
We won't sink. The boat will start rising
when it equalizes with outside, okay?
We're gonna die! We're gonna die! Jesus!
- No! Hold on! Hold on!
- (HULL CREAKING)
Shit... guys, grab anything you can!
The aft cabin is the
highest point! Come on!
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
Look, that's about as
good as we're gonna get it.
Rick! Rick! What are you doing?
Emergency beacon.
All right, come on.
I can't go in there.
Come on, Phil.
[JOHN] Get in!
What now? What the fuck do we do now?
Here... eat.
We're gonna die.
- We're rooted.
- Shut the fuck up.
She's gonna break up... sooner or later.
Storm or container ship, we're going down.
Just keep calm, okay?
That's the main thing.
We'll be all right.
So we just turn this
thing the right-side-up?
- Can't... impossible.
- Why not?
Once a multi-hull
capsizes, it stays that way.
Fucked on the drawing
board... bloody death traps!
How about we rig something up,
make a mast, sail upside-down?
She's 75 percent underwater,
all right... unnavigable.
Hey, we got food, we got water.
I got tanks full of
it, thousands of liters.
We just have to wait.
We'll be okay. I want you guys to relax.
JOHN (V.O.): The only way forward
was to adapt, learn to survive.
We needed to accept the
situation and go with it.
But all they could
think about was rescue.
(SAW CUTTING)
Mutilation.
Yeah, of a corpse.
Wouldn't need to do it, if
you'd built an escape hatch.
Now someone's gonna hear us, right?
How long before someone picks
up the signal, do you reckon?
Hard to say.
Not too many boats out
here... have to be a plane.
Well, how close do they have
to be to pick up a signal?
Depends on the conditions.
JOHN (V.O.): I'd missed my
scheduled departure date.
My original crew had dropped
out at the last minute...
and I needed to find
replacements at short notice.
Jim, check it out.
JOHN (V.O.): I wanted to sail
before the weather changed.
- John Glennie.
- Jim, pleased to meet ya'.
Yeah, good to meet you.
So what's the weather like
in Tonga this time of year?
Oh, it's the tropics, mate.
You know? Sun, warm, beaches...
more beautiful women than
you can shake your stick at.
I like the sound of that.
Yeah, the Friendly Islands!
Could do with a cook. You
got any sailing experience?
Absolutely none.
Some... a bit.
Oh, well. Yeah, it doesn't matter.
I just need extra bodies to keep watch.
How long would it take?
Mm... two weeks tops.
Trade winds are pretty
strong this time of year.
You guys should come on down, check it out.
Sure.
Could be just what you need, mate.
Eh? Get away for a bit,
time to think, clear the air.
- What about you?
- Maybe.
Seriously?
Sure, why not?
Doctor phoned this morning.
Going to see her tomorrow, but
it looks like I'm in the clear.
Latest scan says it's retreating.
Fantastic, man. Fantastic.
Rose Noelle, leaving two
days time. What do you reckon?
[MARTHA] Go on. Write them down.
C'mon, Martha. Don't do this.
I mean it. Write them down.
What?
The people I'll have to get
in contact with when you drown.
Oh, for Christ's sake, have some faith.
You've never been to sea in your whole, damn,
stupid, landlocked life. You can barely swim.
We decided to take a break to see
if this is what we really want.
Not that kind of break.
That guy's gonna have you
cooking dawn till dusk.
That is, when you're not throwing
up. You get seasick in a kayak.
Look, I'm sorry I can't be on call
for you, but I really need to do this.
Not your last will and testament.
Just a name and phone number in the States.
Don't forget that. You'll need it.
I'll wait in the car.
[RICK] Knows how to pick her moments,
doesn't she? Bloody hour of departure.
I s'pose, oh, you know Martha, she's probably
just thinking of the worst that could...
Neither of us are
exactly keen on this idea.
But it's good you're going. It's important.
No regrets, all that.
Uh... we'll say goodbye here.
Oh, you don't want to come down?
No, I'm not big on public farewells.
And it looks like Martha is
in one of her moods, so...
(SNIFFING)
Be careful.
Don't fall overboard.
I won't.
See you in a couple of weeks.
Bye-bye.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Bye! See ya'! Love you!
Oh, this is gonna be so good for him!
- See ya, Dad!
- Bye, Dad!
- See ya.
- Bye. Bye, baby! Bye.
Be nice to your mum! Be good!
Oh, hey, don't be like that!
Us girls, we'll look after each other.
Where's your mate?
[KAREN] Is she all right?
Oh, come on, cheer up. They'll be fine.
Just think of all the fun you'll have when
you get him back, he'll be hot to trot!
No, it's... it's not
that... we're breaking up.
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
Hey, Jim, give Phil a
hand with the fenders.
JOHN (V.O.): I'd waited a
long time for this adventure.
Unfortunately, I wasn't sharing
the first leg of the voyage...
with the men I wanted,
but at least I had a crew.
Once we made landfall in
Tonga, I would replace them.
This voyage was going to take me back to my
old cruising haunts of the South Pacific.
New beginnings, a fresh
start, love and adventure.
I had invested everything
I had in Rose Noelle.
She was my pride and
joy, my home, my haven.
What do you reckon, Jim?
Jim looks a bit green around the gills.
Yeah, he'll be alright.
She's all yours, mate.
- Oh, yeah, okay.
- ANNOUNCER (ON RADIO): The extended marine forecast...
for all of New Zealand
until the 6th of June.
An intense tropical cyclone is situated
off the east coast of the North Island...
with south-westerly gales gusting to
50 knots and seas rising to 6 meters.
For all of the east coast...
severe weather warning...
For all of the west coast
from Terawhiti to Cape Egmont.
JOHN (V.O.): This
was music to my ears.
There'd be no beating into the wind.
We'd sail on a broad reach all the way to
Tonga, and make faster time than I'd hoped.
What's he doing?
Don't know. Look's as those
he's putting up more sails.
[JOHN] A plane would have to be
close. Within a 100 nautical miles.
Come on, John, honestly.
How long before they find us?
What's she gonna remember of me... of us?
[RICK] John?
Five days.
It's okay, mate. Five days
and we'll be out of here...
according to the oracle.
JOHN (V.O.): I estimated our position to
be about 140 miles off the east coast.
The EPIRB signal was well outside
the reach of domestic aircraft.
We'd need to pin our hopes
on an international flight.
Jesus, I can't breathe!
It's time you took a turn back there.
- Oh, I was just...
- Oh, shit!
Can't be much longer now. Surely,
somebody's gotta hear that signal.
They will. We've been
pretty lucky up till now.
Lucky? In what way have we been lucky?
If one of us had been on deck when that
wave hit, it would've been curtains.
If we'd cut the parachute,
we would've been fine.
Hey, it was your idea to put it out
in the first place. Remember that.
What's that supposed to mean?
You knew the storm was coming.
You put us out here! You risked our lives!
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Right, Rick. Let her go!
JOHN (V.O.): Leaving on a journey
and arriving at a destination...
is the best part of cruising.
To be honest, I dislike blue water
sailing, it bores me to tears.
The excitement of bad weather and
long night watches soon wears off.
For me, it was all about seeing the
world and taking my home with me.
There's a man who knows what he's doing.
We're flying along, mate.
She's got a great turn of speed.
Oh, yeah. She's fast,
just how I like my women.
So, who've you left behind? Do
you have someone in Australia?
More interested in who I
could be sailing towards, mate.
Hey, who's the lady in
the picture down below?
Now that is the original Rose
Noelle, Tahitian princess.
I named the boat after
her. Love of my life.
Do you still love her?
In spirit.
We're going a bit fast,
John? Don't you think?
I mean, we're not in that
much of a bloody hurry, are we?
Well, I want to get as far
as we can before nightfall.
- But why?
- Well, the weather's changing.
The weather's changing? What
do you mean? What's it doing?
Well, there's a storm coming.
We're going to catch it.
It'll be on us pretty soon. And
then we'll do some real sailing.
(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)
JOHN (V.O.): A little
knowledge is a dangerous thing.
I don't like this. I
really don't like this.
JOHN (V.O.): Phil had limited
coastal sailing experience.
Maybe that's why he was so
anxious. His fear was contagious.
How long's this going to last?
What's the big surprise?
If you guys heard the marine forecast,
you would've known about this.
This storm's gonna blow us all
the way to Tonga in no time.
You sailed us into a storm on purpose?
Get us... come on! Get
on the radio now! Fuck...
Call the Coast Guard. Get us a helicopter.
Get us off. Hello? Is the Coast Guard...
Hey, hey, hey! That radio's short-range.
There's no one out here to hear you.
- Why?
- Why what?
Why is it short range?
Because I don't have a license.
Why not?
'Cause I don't believe in them,
and I don't want to waste the money.
When you're out here, you're out
here. That's the journey you're on.
Fuck you, mate! We're gonna flip!
Look, we're not gonna
flip. This yacht can't flip.
I've sailed 40,000 miles in one of
these. This is just another blow.
- And when was that, 20 years ago?
- Yeah.
I built this baby with my own hands,
we've already crossed the Tasman together.
You're safe, Rick. Relax.
Oh, God.
What about a sea anchor?
You got one of those?
What for?
Well, to stop us bouncing
round while we ride it out.
Yeah.
Have you got one?
Of course, I have...
Well, then let's throw it
out, slow us down a bit.
No way, it's brand new.
It cost me a lot of money.
- For Christ's sakes.
- The wind turn and goes.
- Let's take take a vote.
- Yeah.
It's not a bloody democracy, mate.
Hey, fuck you! Where is it?
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
Okay, throw us the bag!
Okay, hold onto the bag!
- Use this rope!
- Got it!
Ready?
Now!
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
JOHN (V.O.): If I made one
big mistake, this was it...
allowing myself to be bulldozed
by a terrified crew...
with no experience of
blue water sailing.
The noise of waves smashing against
a multihull is like gunfire.
That should do the trick.
JOHN (V.O.): It can be terrifying
if you're not used to it.
(LOUD BANG)
What the... What the hell was that!
Chute must've fouled.
- Then we've got to free it.
- No, too dangerous.
It's pulling us side-on.
Well, you make a mistake pulling it
in, you could lose a finger or a hand.
Then we cut it loose.
No. Hey! The tiller's lashed.
All we can do is sit tight and wait it out.
We can't leave the chute like that.
I'm the skipper, Rick, remember?
[JOHN] Get some sleep. We'll sort it
in the morning when conditions improve.
COMEDIAN (ON TAPE): So we just
locked ourselves down in the scrum...
This will put a smile in your
eye and some lead in your pencil.
What's that?
Epirb. We can set it to send out distress
signals, any plane flying over, it'll pick it up.
COMEDIAN (CONT'D): He had
a double jointed arse.
Mick, me mate the master farter.
Put the art back into farting
with his custom tailored farts.
Mick, me mate the master
farter broke new ground...
in breaking wind with
his double jointed arse.
[RICK] You risked our lives! What
are you after, eh? Insurance money?
I'm not insured. I don't believe in it.
I'm insured with the Gods,
not the bottom feeders.
Hey, you're in my space, mate.
What happens if a wave flips
the boat the right side up?
Are we gonna be fine with all this water?
It can't happen, okay. It won't happen.
No, no. We've got to cut an escape hatch.
You are not cutting another
hole in this bloody boat.
Now you have some respect for her, for
me, for everything I've put in to it.
No bloody way. This is our
lives we're talking about.
If you won't do it, I will.
(SAW CUTTING)
JOHN (V.O.): It was painful to watch,
like the violation of a loved one.
But Rick was not a
man to argue with.
Once he made his
mind up, that was it.
(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)
JOHN (V.O.): Breaking outside
didn't make them feel any better.
Seeing the magnitude of what we were up
against, their morale sank to a new low.
Any hope of a quick rescue
seemed a distant prospect.
Rick, Rick... the light.
Wait a minute. It will come back on.
That's it.
JOHN (V.O.): Once the EPIRB
battery died we were on our own...
outside standard flight
paths and shipping lanes.
JOHN (V.O.): Wind, current and the
gods were taking us for a ride.
The only control we
had was over ourselves.
Rick, Jim, give us a hand outside, eh.
JOHN (V.O.): We needed to put
differences behind us and work as a team.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
Okay.
I got it.
All right.
Got it.
Phil, give us a bloody hand, would ya'?
I'm busy.
I don't know why you're doing that anyway?
No point. Don't bother.
We need to make ourselves more visible to
passing ships, planes, whatever. That's why.
[PHIL] What else is down there?
Oh, Jesus! Watch what you're doing!
Take it easy, mate. I didn't mean to.
Screw you, Rick. Look! Look! I'm bleeding!
Oh, get over it. Jesus,
you're a bloody moron.
You...
- And we ration all food from now on.
- Who says?
It's the smart thing to do. We don't
know how long we're going to be out here.
And we're gonna get hold of the sails.
You're gonna dive for them, tomorrow.
I've told you already. You
can't sail this boat upside down.
And we make decisions by vote from now on.
Majority rules and we stick to the rules.
Used to be a cop, didn't
you? Hey, let it go, Rick.
Man, your emotional body
is starving your neuronet.
Have faith in the God within.
You can shove your dumb-ass
religion up your skinny ass.
Rick, pass me the cabbage.
Where's the knife? This one's shit.
Now... we got tuna.
There was a lemon somewhere laying
around in this leaking son of a boat.
All right, there we are. Okay.
When I was a young boy... I
wanted to sail around the world.
That's the life for me. Living on the sea.
Spirit of a sailor
circumnavigates the globe.
The lust of...
I just spent six months in a leaky boat.
Lucky just to be afloat.
What song is that?
[PHIL] That's a kiwi classic, mate.
No. Aotearoa. Yeah.
I've gotta get out of here.
[JOHN] Glisten like a pearl.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
I just spent six months on a leaky boat!
JOHN (V.O.): I think Rick
felt he'd lost Jim to us...
like someone had
stolen his girlfriend.
Or maybe something else was
going on inside his head.
Meanwhile back home, Jim's girlfriend
Martha was becoming concerned.
By now he should have
made contact from Tonga.
After three weeks adrift, no
one had begun searching for us.
[KAREN] I think it still works.
I haven't used it for a while.
Here you go.
Okay.
You're not gonna be able
to get through anyway.
What's that, Darren? What did you say?
You're not gonna be able to get through.
Gordon'll radio for you. He
arranged a time with John.
What do you mean?
Gordon's supposed to call
him and get his position...
but John's not gonna be able to call him or
name the boat, because his radio's illegal.
That's the deal.
The deal?
I heard him talking about it.
Gordon's gonna call him and
give him a weather forecast.
Well, why didn't you tell us this before?
Your dad wouldn't've have gone if he'd
known they didn't have a proper radio.
I don't know.
Hello? How do you drive this thing?
Hello?
Come aboard!
So... I reckon they're out here, somewhere.
Okay, let's give it a go.
6128.6... that's what John and I agreed.
It's almost half-past
8:00, he might be listening.
Argo calling Rose Noelle. Do you read me?
Your position, please. Over.
(GARBLED TRANSMISSION)
MAN (OVER RADIO): Argo...
...eight degrees south.
Was that 28 degrees south? Please
confirm or deny, Rose Noelle. Over.
MAN (OVER RADIO): ...south.
28 degrees south. I'm
sure that's what he said.
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
[JIM] Let me get up to you.
[RICK] What?
JOHN (V.O.): Something wasn't right.
But I'd filled the tanks to capacity
with fresh water before we left.
Where had it gone?
For the first time, I had
doubts about our survival.
When are you going to
check the water tanks, John?
John?
Checked them already.
And?
Empty.
What do you mean empty? There's no water?
Hang on. So, all the water you've
been talking about, in the tanks.
Thousands of liters... it's all gone?
What happened to it?
Where's all the water gone?
Well, it must've drained
out when we capsized.
[PHIL] Drained out? How come?
There are air vents in the tanks.
Why didn't you bloody well tell us? Well?
We need to stay calm.
Shit! You guys have got to
face facts. We're going to die.
There's no point about your stupid
mast or your stupid rationing.
We've all had it! Fuck the lot of you!
Phil.
Oh, watch out! Jesus!
Look out, the knife!
Get the knife back, fuckwit!
You dropped it! You get it back!
Hey, shit head, I brought a present for ya!
Put these on and piss off!
Eh? If we're all fucked,
why don't you swim for it?
- Bye-bye, Phil!
- Bugger off!
It's not my fault there's no bloody water!
Rick, stop it! Come on, Rick! Enough.
Fat, useless prick!
Rick! Rick! Stop it!
Rick! Leave him alone!
Okay, I'll go down and
look for the sails now.
I'll do it now, all right?
Is that good enough for you?
Yeah, why have you
suddenly changed your tune?
Because you're a dangerous man, Rick.
Things go wrong, things don't
go your way, you throw a wobbly.
You don't trust. I'll get the sails.
No, no, no, I'll do it!
You? Yeah, sure.
No, no, no. Bad idea, Phil. I should do it.
I know where they are.
Well, so do I. Fuck the lot of ya'!
Oh, Jesus...
What if he doesn't make it?
More of everything for the rest of us.
You're out of line, Rick...
seriously out of line.
Jesus.
Fuck!
(COUGHING)
JOHN (V.O.): Rick hated to lose control.
Any setback could send him into a rage.
He always needed someone to
blame for his predicament.
Usually it was me, but
it could be anyone.
It was only later I understood
what was really driving him.
He felt he was running out of time.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
Okay, so as you all know, the Rose Noelle
has not yet reached it's destination.
Does anyone recall anything that
John Glennie might've said...
about the course he was taking to Tonga?
It's more than a months since they set off.
They should've arrived in Tonga by now.
Hello? Rose Noelle. Come in. Do you read?
Hello? Rose Noelle?
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
Thank god. I knew it.
We're gonna make it.
JOHN (V.O.): It was a sign. I
knew we were being looked after.
I have told you, mate.
There's no fish out here.
Nothing lives this far away from land.
We're in a marine desert.
You've gotta try.
Hey, um,... maybe we could
have our water ration now.
Nope... still no sign of rain.
Hey, guys... check this
out. I've been thinking.
When we capsized, we
would've been about here.
Prevailing current is going that way,
taking us maybe 10, 20 miles a day.
So, after 34 days drifting, that
would put us right off the map.
But there's nothing there...
nothing until South America.
That's gonna take us...
At least eight months.
Possibly... or the current could take us
north along the line of the continent...
but well out of the sight of land.
And that would add another 1,000 miles.
1,000 miles.
Yeah.
Just you wait. You blokes
are gonna be famous.
What the fuck are you doing?
You're writing your memoirs?
Haven't made up my mind
up yet. Might be a book.
Might be a love letter to my ex.
Who? Rose Noelle? The poor bitch
you named this piece of crap after?
Why did she dump you anyway?
She didn't dump me. She died
in a plane crash, Pan Am 816.
She was on her way to join me.
Oh, yeah.
Nah, there's been many women since
my sweet Rose Noelle... too many.
Sure. I mean you're a real catch, hm? Sane.
Handsome, young, normal, sane... sane!
Rick, Rick. Let's
just... let's play a game.
Sure, why not?
Yeah, that's a good idea.
I'll play the winner.
Piss off!
You gotta take it easy on him.
I know he's annoying, but...
But nothing. Count this shit up.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Oh, shit!
Phil? Are you gonna tell them or shall I?
What?
You should do that outside.
It's too windy.
Phil lost the rod.
That was the only rig we had.
First the only decent
bloody knife and now the rod.
- How bloody thick are you?
- I'm sorry. Okay?
No, not okay. It's everything else
about you. You're a greedy, farting pig!
Look at your head, mate. You
look like you've been in a fight.
When're you going to learn
how low the fucking roof is?
I... I just wanna go home. I want my Karen.
Phil, it's okay... it's okay.
Hey, guys. Check this out.
Something I've been working on.
It's a collection system for water.
These are PVC pipes. I've got heaps
of them in the starboard pontoon.
What do you think?
I don't see how you... how
are you gonna cut the pipes?
Exactly. Look. How about...
Why don't we use the surface
of the hull as a catchment.
And we put wood along here and over here...
with drain holes here and here.
Yeah.
Hey, hey, good on ya, mate. Hey,
now you're pulling your weight. Eh?
Yeah. So, have we got any wood?
(DRAMATIC MUSIC FADES UP)
- Cheers, mate.
- Yeah.
JOHN (V.O.): You can survive a long time
without food, but not without water.
Over the weeks, we'd reduced
our rations to little more...
than two ounces of
liquid each, per day.
This better bloody work.
JOHN (V.O.): But now the
precious water was almost gone.
We were beyond thirst... suffering
the onset of dehydration.
- Rick.
- What's that?
A boat!
[JOHN] It's a yacht.
The beacon! Quick, get the beacon!
Come on! Come on! Quick. Yeah.
Guys! Guys! Guys! It's too far out.
They'll never see it. They'll never see it!
Fuel... generator fuel!
Oh, good on you, mate. Brilliant.
[RICK] Okay, stand back.
Here, chuck it on.
Come on... come on... come on!
Forget it. She's gone.
[JOHN] Yeah, a yacht like that
shouldn't be out here. It's a sign.
Yeah, a sign we're not as close
to South America as you thought.
No, it's a sign from
God. We're gonna be okay.
Enough! Okay? No more! You're
giving me a fucking headache!
Everything in life happens for a reason.
That yacht is a sign,
we willed her to appear.
Yeah, just like you willed that storm
to appear, eh? You're a fucking wanker!
God only knows what you
know. Don't you know that?
Everything comes from
within. Don't fight it.
One more word... I swear one more
word and I will fucking gag you!
Rick, Rick, Rick. Rick.
Yeah, thank you, God, for bringing us
this far and thank you for what is to come.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.): There is still
no contact with the missing crew...
of the Rose Noelle, which left Picton on
June the 6th with four local men on board.
The tri-maran was expected to arrive
in Tonga by the middle of the month.
It is now six weeks overdue.
Following an unsuccessful search by
RNZAF Orion, pressure is now mounting...
for a second search, despite the already
considerable expenditure of public money.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
That's it.
(RAIN FALLING)
It's raining! Water! It's raining!
Get the bottles!
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
The bottles! Go, go, go!
Oh, thank you, thank you, God!
40 days in the desert... thank you.
Woo! Look at this!
Ah! Woo-hoo!
Thank you, god!
Good work... woo!
They're alive. They're on their way.
Home?
Does Rick have a white cable-knit jersey?
No.
Hm, I see him in one...
very nice, and gumboots...
- on an island.
- Which island?
I've asked the guides, but they won't
tell me... the name is two words.
Five letters and seven letters.
Rick's guide is here with us now.
He's standing right behind you.
He's telling us they're safe.
Rick, Rick, come here,
come here! Rick! Come.
Ssh, fish.
Oh... come to Papa.
Oh, thanks to you there's no rod, no
bloody way of catching the bastard.
Come on, Harry. Come on. Come on.
Bugger. Nah, he'll be back.
Yeah. Don't worry. He'll be back.
I think I've got something.
- Oh, that's perfect.
- Yeah.
- And this?
- Okay.
Are we good?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're good.
We're good. That's all we need.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Oh, Harry's back! Quick,
ssh! Get the net. Get the net.
He's down there by the table.
Come on, Harry.
Slowly, mate. Slowly.
Come on, Harry. Come on.
Steady, Jim.
He's got 'im! He's got 'im!
I got him! I got him!
I got him! I'll take it.
- Jesus Christ.
- Take it.
Let me have him!
Harry, you beautiful,
beautiful, beautiful...
Oh, oh, my god.
Oh, Harry, you're a top fish...
and I just hope that you have
lots of mates just like you.
No fish in the sea, eh, John?
There will be now. They'll be
coming for the barnacles in the hull.
When are you gonna check
those gas tanks, John?
There's no telling how far they've corroded.
One mistake could blow us all to bits.
Come on. Let's just
appreciate what we've got.
[JOHN] We don't give thanks enough.
Thank you, God, for sending us Harry.
And please help John find his inner what have
you, so that we can use the bloody gas tanks.
Amen.
Amen.
JOHN (V.O.): Harry's friends
had begun to appear in numbers.
After two and a half months at sea, the
Rose Noelle had become a floating reef.
Our menu was expanding, barnacles, seaweed
and kingfish... plenty of kingfish.
Oi, imagine that fried.
I'm not gonna give up
on the gas tanks, John.
You find them... or I will.
You wouldn't like that.
I might hurt your precious bloody boat.
All right! All right!
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Okay, Jim! Turn it on.
(GAS HISSING)
Gas coming.
Shouldn't you be on your
knees, John? Praying?
Oh, here we go. All right.
Easy.
Try 'em. One, two, three.
You call those even?
Yeah, who's gonna get the big one?
They're all roughly the same size.
Pig's ass.
It's your birthday
tomorrow. Am I right, Rick?
You'll get first choice.
Don't worry, Phil. You
can have the biggest, mate.
Cheers.
Bloody beautiful.
Hollow victory, isn't it?
Could've had this months ago.
[RICK] He knew exactly
where those tanks were.
We didn't have to wait all this
time to have hot, bloody food.
We had to fight for everything. It's
like we're not suffering enough for him.
That's true, mate. It's true.
Every idea we have he scoffs at. He uses
knowledge of the boat to hold the power over us.
Hey, the most important thing is
we've got gas now and hot food.
How good's that?
You're even starting to
sound like him. Bloody wanker.
What the hell's wrong with you? He's the
one that got this whole thing rigged up.
But just... just be thankful.
Fuck you! Hey, why are you defending him now, eh?
Sad shit, pussy-whipped fucking yank!
Hey! Hey!
Guys! Jesus.
Oi.
JOHN (V.O.): Despite our
improving situation...
Rick's moods were becoming
darker, more erratic.
Not even Jim was safe
from his fits of temper.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Look.
Look at the breast meat on him.
- Roast chicken.
- Let's get him.
Yes!
(ALBATROSS SCREECHING)
He's got him! I got him! I got him!
Come. Come on.
Albatross burritos and
tomato puree... delicious.
You are a bloody artist, Jim.
[PHIL] What's supposed to
happen if you kill an albatross?
[JOHN] The Ancient Mariner was
doomed to wander the oceans forever.
The Ancient Mariner didn't fry
his, so I think we get a pass.
So much food, we could have people over.
Happy birthday, mate.
Nice one, Rick. Keep you warm on watch.
For he's a jolly good fellow
For he's a jolly good fellow
For he's a jolly good fellow
And so say all of us
- Hip, hip.
- Hooray!
- Hip, hip.
- Hooray!
What's up, man? You all right?
I couldn't have had a better birthday.
It doesn't make sense to be happy out here.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Most of us gathered here have
sailed the South Pacific...
...and most of us know John Glennie.
So far our requests to mount
another search have been fruitless...
so it may be that we have to
find the money ourselves...
some $15,000 per hour of flying time.
Does anybody recall anything that
he might have said about the route?
Yeah, can you tell us if you definitely
heard John's voice when you took the position?
The speaker never identified himself.
But you clearly heard Rose Noelle?
I think so.
- You're full of shit.
- Martha... please.
It is only because of your lies
that they searched the Kermadecs!
That was John's fourth way point.
It made sense to look for them there.
Bullshit.
Karen was there. She'll tell you.
There was so much interference.
We could hardly hear anything.
We know nothing. That's the bloody truth!
What we want is to search from
this line, 300 miles to the east.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.): Funded
by friends and family...
Another search has been mounted
for the trimaran Rose Noelle...
missing at sea now for
nearly three months.
20 minutes of flying time in this
direction before we turn around.
(SOFT MUSIC CONTINUES)
(BABY CRYING)
JOHN (V.O.): It had taken
nearly three months...
but finally we were
beginning to work as a team.
Each of us had a role.
We had food and water.
We could have gone on forever.
Farewell and adieu to
you fine Spanish ladies
Farewell and adieu
to you ladies of Spain
For we've received orders
to sail for old England
And perhaps never more
shall we see you again
Farewell and adieu
my fair Spanish ladies
Farewell and adieu
all you ladies of Spain
Do you think maybe
we'll need a bigger boat?
JOHN (V.O.): There was no
point in telling the others.
The ship was too far off to see us. It was
better to spare them the disappointment.
(UNZIPPING)
Rick! Rick! Get out here!
What's up, mate?
Tell me...
It can't be. Surely.
What is it?
Christ, you bastards! That's land!
That's land!
Feast your eyes, John! You son of a bitch!
I reckon we're about ten miles out!
John, you okay?
John... look at it.
Land, it's real, mate.
JOHN (V.O.): I couldn't find
words to describe how I felt...
relief, elation, disappointment.
I just knew it was coming to
an end, whatever that meant.
Perhaps that was what I was
afraid of. I didn't know.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
JOHN (V.O.): The others were looking
forward to lives they could return to.
Smile for the camera.
JOHN (V.O.): But my life was here, with
what was left of my ruined Rose Noelle.
I had nowhere else to go.
You know, we should have the record by now.
Record? What record?
119 days in an overturned boat.
It's gotta be some kind of record.
Jesus, John! Who gives a toss?
I told you. You blokes are gonna be famous.
Let's concentrate on getting on land first.
Yeah, I just want to get
back to Karen and the kids.
That'll do me.
Yeah, mate. Can't be.
What? What can't be?
When I was a kid, we used to go
on holiday on Great Barrier Island.
Ah-ha.
- [RICK] See that peak?
- [JIM] Yeah.
That looks like Hirakimata...
the mountain on the Barrier.
[JOHN] Well, all mountains look
pretty much the same from a distance.
I worked it out and it must
be an island off South America.
Nah, Hirakimata. Mount
Hobson. I reckon that's it.
Well, how could that be possible.
We've drifted thousands of
miles in the other direction.
You might be wrong.
JOHN (V.O.): Making landfall
is always dangerous.
The ocean striking a
land mass can produce...
a short, confused seaway, conflicting wind
and currents draw you in like a magnet.
John... Christ sake, put it on!
There's no need.
No more bullshit. Put the bloody thing on.
JOHN (V.O.): We could
almost touch the land...
but having no way of steering Rose Noelle, we
were in danger of being cast onto the rocks.
What was that?
Must be the mast... hitting the seabed.
JOHN (V.O.): If the mast were
driven up through the hull...
Rose Noelle could break apart
and throw us into the sea.
We've got to get off the boat.
We'll be all right, guys.
We're being looked after.
Fuck that, I'm gonna swim for it.
I'm with you, mate.
Too dangerous, mate. Just
over there, you'll be fine.
[JIM] John! John!
[PHIL] There's a bloody shark!
[JIM] Swim for the boat,
John! There's a shark.
Swim!
No, no, no. One more go. One more go.
[JIM] Come on, mate! Swim!
Come on, John!
Hold on! We've got it!
JOHN (V.O.): I was
done, exhausted...
but apart from a blow to the head
and a twisted knee, I was okay.
Thanks.
JOHN (V.O.): In the end, after
months of constant danger...
enduring storm and tempest, we
just drifted gently to shore.
And when Rose Noelle could
take us no further...
we slipped into the water
and waded to dry land.
What are you doing, John? Praying?
You blokes didn't have to worry.
We were always going to make
it. We should give thanks.
Let's just be thankful we made
it, mate, eh? That's enough.
Course, we did. What did I tell you?
Dry land... beautiful.
We were never in any danger...
not once... thanks to you.
What about the sail bag? Can anyone see it?
Let's go.
John, we're off, mate.
John... tell me that's
not a pohutakawa tree.
Toitoi... definitely New Zealand.
This way, guys. Looks like a track.
Oh, my god.
(MUSIC FADES UP)
Hello? Hello?
It's locked. What do we do? Break a window?
No, no, no, no. There'll be
a key. There's always a key.
My god, a chair.
- All right.
- I got the peaches.
Not connected.
JOHN (V.O.): I must have been in shock.
Inside a real house after so long.
Still think we're in South America, mate?
[PHIL] Jesus Christ.
JOHN (V.O.): I couldn't join
the party; the feeding frenzy.
[PHIL] What do you want?
JOHN (V.O.): All I could think
of was my poor Rose Noelle...
drifting helpless in the bay.
I wanted to return to her, but
I didn't have the strength.
Fuck.
Top up there, mate?
Oh, thank you, mate.
Cheers.
What are you up to, buddy?
Chopped sizzlers.
Need a hand?
No. I'm good, I'm really good.
Here. Cheers.
Cheers.
Look at this feast, this house.
We are four, bloody, lucky guys.
[JIM] Yes, we are.
A toast...
Tomorrow, with any luck, we find
a phone and we get off this island.
It's very unlikely the four of us will
ever be alone again. Well, not like this.
John, I want to thank you
for getting us through this.
It's because of you, the Rose Noelle
was a bountiful mother to us all.
To John.
John.
I don't know why you were so certain
that we were going to be saved.
And please spare us any more
of your crackpot theories.
Although it's hard to admit, I...
I guess you were right... in the end.
Cheers.
But, I love you guys... and I hope...
I hope that after all we've been
through, we can remain friends.
Famous friends. They'll give us all medals.
Yeah, to friends.
Oh, pudding!
Can't sleep.
How's your head?
It hurts.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
(KNOCKING)
Yeah, yeah.
Can I help you, blokes?
Who the hell are you?
And what are you doing in Jim's house?
Where are we?
What do you mean?
Great Barrier Island.
Hey, what's going on here? Who are you?
We're the crew from the Rose Noelle.
That trimaran that went missing?
[JIM] That's right.
No... you guys are supposed to be dead.
Really good to see ya'.
A few hundred meters
either side of that cove...
I would've been filling in a
report about four dead bodies.
No chance.
There you go, mate.
(PHONE RINGING)
Hello?
RICK (OVER PHONE): Hi, can
I speak to Heather, please.
Speaking.
Rick?
- RICK (OVER PHONE): Yeah.
- Rick?
It's me. Sorry, love,
I didn't recognise you.
RICK (OVER PHONE): Are you there?
Oh, g... oh, god, sorry...
yes, oh, darling...
HEATHER (OVER PHONE): I don't
believe it's true. It's really you.
Yeah, it's me. Um, look,
we're on Great Barrier Island.
We're heading into Auckland soon. Get the
first flight you can, eh? You and Mattie?
HEATHER (OVER PHONE): Yes, I will.
Oh, darling, I love
you, love you, love you!
Mattie, Mattie, it's
daddy! Yeah, oh, darling...
See you soon, okay?
(HEATHER KISSES RECEIVER)
[KAHU] Port of departure?
[JOHN] Picton.
Date of capsize.
(PHONE RINGING)
- Hello?
- JIM (OVER PHONE): Martha? It's me.
Are you there?
Yes, of course, I am.
JIM (OVER PHONE): They're
flying us to Auckland.
Can you please get on a plane...
and meet me there?
Please, Martha?
Okay.
JIM (OVER PHONE): Okay, bye.
That was a first.
Okay, you mentioned sightings of a freight?
(MUFFLED SCREAMING)
Listen. Hey, hey, hey.
(MUFFLED LAUGHING, CRYING)
KAREN (OVER PHONE):
Ohh, oh, my baby.
Yeah, Snookie Pooh... it's Snuggle Beard.
- KAREN (OVER PHONE): Oh, my god!
- Hey, babe. Jeez, I missed you.
KAREN (OVER PHONE): I love
you so much! I'm so glad!
Yeah, I know. I really missed you.
Yeah, well, you should
get a... Get a plane.
Yeah, get a plane to
Auckland as soon as you can.
- Yeah.
- KAREN (OVER PHONE): I love you so much.
Bye.
Oh.
John, your turn.
No.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
(REPORTERS YELLING)
Did you have any doubts that you'd make it?
- Not one.
- Why's that?
Faith... abiding faith.
- Mr. Glennie, I presume?
- Ah, yeah.
Ross Laing, Marine Transport
Division. This is Captain McKinley.
Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?
No.
Did you keep a log book, Mr. Glennie?
Yeah.
Any idea where it is now?
JOHN (V.O.): This was so unexpected.
Are you serious? Christ! Can't this wait?
If you want us to believe your story,
Mr. Glennie, you'd better co-operate.
JOHN (V.O.): After
all we'd been through.
What did you do for food and water all
the time you were supposedly adrift?
Um...
Rick?
Oh, Rick, darling.
[KAREN] Oh, darling.
JOHN (V.O.): I struggled to comprehend
how we could have survived...
so much and yet be and
treated with such suspicion.
I don't know what these men
have been doing for 119 days...
but they haven't been
drifting on the ocean.
JOHN (V.O.): And it
was only the beginning.
We had no inkling of what
we were about to walk into.
No one would believe us.
(BABY CRYING)
Damn it! Mattie, please?
Ssh...
ANNOUNCER (OVER RADIO): Many people are
wondering, what power and spirit they had...
these four men who spent July, August and
September adrift on the Pacific Ocean.
ANNOUNCER #2 (ON TV): Ministry
of Transport officials...
are to retrace the 119-day voyage of the
Rose Noelle with the use of a computer.
CALLER 1 (OVER RADIO): They
look too good to be true.
I mean no salt sores, far too well fed,
what did they eat out there all that time?
CALLER #2 (OVER RADIO): Who the
hell do they think they're kidding?
Bloody drug smugglers, I reckon. They're
having us on and it's all bull...
CALLER #3 (OVER RADIO): I
don't believe a word of it.
How can they be floating around for
so long without someone seeing them?
It's just impossible. It's just...
CALLER #4 (OVER RADIO): Okay, mate.
It's just not humanly possible.
I know what conditions are
like that time of year.
No yacht's gonna stay afloat
for even half that time, mate.
REPORTER (ON TV): Amid the euphoria, relief
and sheer joy at the survival of the crew...
some serious questions arise.
The Transport Minister has asked
for a preliminary investigation...
into the crew members' claims
of the 120-day ordeal...
which has attracted
widespread scepticism.
So what do you say, John,
in response to those...
who don't believe you? Is
there an alternative story?
You know, I... I couldn't give
a stuff what anybody thinks.
Jim, check it out. John's on the tele.
We were adrift all that time.
Survived only because we were careful
and clever and looked after each other.
For the rest of my life, I'll be
grateful to Phil and Rick and Jim.
Under the circumstances, they were
the best men I could have hoped for.
If you're watching
this, guys, I thank you.
REPORTER (ON TV): We needed
a miracle and we got one.
Skipper John Glennie claims his yacht was
capsized by a huge wave 3 days into their voyage.
Ah, bullshit.
No, no, babe. Hey, it's all right.
REPORTER (ON TV): But
now after surviving...
119 days drifting at sea, the Rose
Noelle broke up in a storm yesterday.
Mr. Glennie returned to the
wreck yesterday by helicopter...
accompanied by marine division investigators
who are trying to piece together...
the final voyage of the Rose Noelle.
Empty.
Do you wanna have a look at this?
I might've been wrong.
REPORTER (ON TV): It's perhaps New Zealand's
most miraculous survival story ever.
How four men in an upturned boat could
drift on the high seas without trace...
for nearly four months and
live to tell the story.
So remarkable was their tale of survival, that
some began to doubt that it ever happened.
But a report released today
backs up the incredible saga.
This inquiry with detailed
scientific evidence...
supporting it has demonstrated
that this is absolutely true...
and it is in fact is one of the great
stories of human survival on the seas.
The Rose Noelle skipper, John Glennie,
describes the report as fair and thorough.
Glennie says it answers
the doubts some people had.
JOHN (V.O.): Sadly, eight months after
our return, Rick died of a brain tumor.
Jim helped take care of him
and then trained as a nurse.
Phil went back to sea.
He even made several voyages across
the Pacific and fathered another child.
But despite the ordeal we had
survived so well together...
after we left the island, I never
saw Rick, Jim or Phil ever again.
(MUSIC PLAYING)