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ABOUT STORM TACTICS VIDEO

“One of the reasons I wanted to sail east-to-west around Cape Horn was to take video shots proving that small vessels can safely weather storms if they are well outfitted and efficiently handled,” Larry Pardey stated after his record-breaking voyage. Lin and Larry completed their against-the-wind rounding of the Great Southern Capes on board their engineless 29-foot Taleisin earlier this year, weathering nine days of storm-force winds to reach Puerto Montt in Chile. There they interviewed several high-latitude voyagers, prepared the narrative, and shot further detailed footage to complete the Storm Tactics video, a project Lin and Larry conceived almost ten years ago. 

When Lin and Larry began editing the final program in New Zealand, their work caught the eye of television director and editor Chris Gurr, who added his artistic talent to the project. Working with team New zealand, Grant Dalton and the late Sir Peter Blake, Chris has created several award-winning sailing programs that have aired in eleven countries.

Additional footage for this 90-minute program has been provided by Australia’s WinzTV. Their dramatic images include aerial and off-the-boat views of small boats sailing in 70-know winds (Force 12) in the Bass Straits, north of Tasmania. “It is important to encourage sailors to take a ‘can-do’ attitude when they encounter storm-force winds,” says cameraman Peter Harmsen, who was in the helicopter during the infamous 1998 Sydney-Hobart Race. “These pictures do just that.”

Figuring that many sailors will want to carry Storm Tactics on board and view it on their laptop computers, the Pardeys have produced the program in both VHS and DVD formats. “This program is designed to illustrate and expand on our Storm Tactics Handbook,” adds Lin. “We tried to add information and ideas we picked up from the folks we met at the bottom of the world.”

Besides actual storm tactics, the program includes information on securing gear, checking rigging, and gaining confidence before setting sail. The para-anchor setup is shown in detail for Taleisin as well as for modern boats, such as Beth Leonard and Evans Starzinger’s water-ballasted 47-fotter, Hawk.

Lin and Larry Pardey have now voyaged more than 170,000 miles, including both east-about and west-about circumnavigations. They have made passages on 20 different boats, ranging in size from their own 24′ 4″ and 29′ 6″ self-built cutters through modern racing boats to 85-foot classic schooners. As Herb McCormick, editor of Cruising Word puts it, “The Pardeys have received more awards for their pursuits than Tom Hanks has for his.”

Editor and author Roger Taylor wrote that their Storm Tactics Handbook “could save lives and dreams.” Reviewers are now making similar statements about the graphic demonstrations of gear, tactics, and advice presented in the Storm Tactics video.

Available at nautical bookstores and chandleries or online from www.paracay.com, the DVD and the video contain exactly the same information; each version costs US $29.95. In the United Kingdom, they are available for ú19.95 from Kelvin Hughes (www.bookharbour.com), Reed’s Nautical (www.reedsnautical.com), and Biograph Video (phone: 01626-201888 email: biograph@eurobell.co.uk). The video is available in both NTSC and PAL formats and runs 84 minutes.