We`re Not Afraid to Die...if We Can All Be Together Class 11 English Hornbill

Key Points of the Story

• We are not afraid to die if we can all be together summary tells about the extreme bravery and skill exhibited by Gordon Cook. 
• Gordon Cook’s family and crewmen in a war with water and the waves for existence. 
• In the month of July in the year 1976, the writer, his wife Mary, his son Jonathan and his daughter Suzanne set sail from Plymouth, in England to duplicate the round-the-world journey made 200 years ago by Captain James Cook. 
• They took the trip in their professionally designed ship, named the Wavewalker, accompanied by 2 sailors. 
• Larry Vigil, who was an American and Herb Sailor, a Swiss, to tackle one of the world’s coarsest oceans – the Southern Indian Ocean. 

Detailed Summary 

The journey started smoothly with an enjoyable first portion covering 1,05,000 kilometers up to Cape Town. However, on the second day after Cape Town, the travelers encountered severe windstorms and waves as high as fifteen meters, causing alarm. By December 25th, the ship was in the southern Indian Ocean, 3,500 kilometers east of Cape Town, where the family welcomed the New Year.
On January 2nd, the waves grew larger, forcing the sailors to slow down, drop the storm jib, and take precautions. A massive explosion at 6 pm threw the narrator overboard, but the ship miraculously righted itself after nearly overturning. Despite injuries, the narrator took charge, and with the help of others, managed to pump out water, cover gaps with canvas, and send radio signals for help. Sue and Jon were seriously injured but displayed remarkable courage.In a desperate situation, the crew reached He Amsterdam, a French scientific base on a volcanic island, where 28 inhabitants helped them, marking the end of their harrowing journey.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the key takeaway from the statement "we are not afraid to die if we can all be together" underscores the remarkable strength found in unity. The unyielding confidence exhibited by the sailors played a pivotal role in their survival, pulling them out from the imminent threat of death. It was this collective power of unity and unwavering self-belief that ultimately allowed them to overcome the dire situation they were in.

Difficult Words

Word - Meaning 

• Set sail - started journey by sea.
• duplicate - repeat, copy
• voyage - a sea journey; 
• In the wake of-afterwards. Just as Captain Cook had done; 
• honing-improving, sharpening.
• seafaring – travelling by sea; 
• hull–lower part of the ship; 
• leg-stage, round,
• heading - sailing towards; 
• crewmen-helpers, seamen; 
• tackle–deal with, handle.
• roughest – most stormy
• Encounter – meet, come across, face,
• gale – violent winds,
• alarming – dangerous. Terrifying,
• main mast - central long pole,
• despite – in spite of,
• atrocious – rough, violent,
• reasoned – told ourselves; 
• gigantic–huge, high,
• jib - a triangular staysail.
• knots – a nautical mile; enormous–huge,
• screaming – making sharp noise.
• lashed – tied, fastened together; 
• mooring-rope–a rope used for securing a boat on the coast,
• loop – noose,
• stern – back part of the ship.
• life raft - a fleet made of logs,
• spray – flying of small drops of water.
• drill – exercise, practical training.
• attached – joined,
• donned – put on,
• indication – sign,
• impending – drawing near
• disaster – ruin, mishap.
• dropped – stopped blowing; 
• towered–mounted.
• aft – back,
• horror – fear,
• vertical – standing upright,
• frightful – deadly. Dreadful.
• crest – top; 
• thunder–loud roar.
• tremendous – fearful; 
• explosion–burst,
• deck – the platform of a ship; 
• torrent–a strong fast stream; 
• smashed–hit, struck,
• popped – rose,
• capsizing – overturning.
• horizontal – level.
• hurled – threw with force.
• jerked–moved; 
• taut – tight; 
• lifeline–a rope thrown to secure someone from drowning; 
• Wavewalker– the name given to the boat; 
• grabbed–caught firmly; 
• guardrails–the horizontal pieces of iron or wood for security. 
• Raithe ling; a boom–long pole.
• subsequent – that came thereafter,
• tossed – threw,
• rag doll – a doll made of a torn clothes, a toy,
• ribs – chest bones,
• cracked – broke,
• hung on–trapped.
• abandon – leave.
• investigate – find out, 
• Screamed–cried; 
• decks– platform, 
• roof; smashed–broken; 
• scrambled–tried to catch. 
• hatch–a small opening in a floor. ; 
• timbers–wood used for building purpose,
• crazy –odd. ; 
• starboard–right-hand side of a ship,
• bulged–swollen, 
• sloshed–moved around water, 
• bunk–sleeping berth. 
• a bit–a little bump–swelling. ; 
• hammer–a tool for driving nails, ; 
• screws–a metal fastener. ; 
• canvas–water proof material, thick cloth of hemp or flax, ; 
• bashed open–struck open forcibly,  ; 
• stretch–spread out; 
• hatch covers–the lids to cover the openings in the deck; 
• gaping–open; 
• deflected–turned to another direction, ; 
• debris–scattered broken things, ; 
• threateningly–In an alarming manner. ; 
• wrenched–pulled off, twisted. ; 
• dinghies–small boats on a ship; 
• anchor–piece of heavy metal, ; 
• chartroom–where maps used for navigation are kept; 
• dragged on–passed with difficulty; 
• steering–the mechanism or wheel to control the direction; 
• Mayday calls–radio signals used by ships in distress calling for help. 
• Remote–far off; swollen– ; 
• alarmingly–dangerously; 
• enormous–big; 
• sufficiently–enough, adequate; 
• In rotation–turn by turn. ; 
• tremendous–big, ; 
• leak–opening, 
• Rib–one of the ships curved timbers, ; 
• smashed to the keel–completely broken; 
• starboard hull–the lower part of the right side of the ship; 
• calculated–estimated, ; 
• pinpricks–very small dots or islands; 
• abated–cooled down, grew less severe; 
• hoist–flutter,; 
• slim–very little, thin, ; 
• auxiliary–additional, ; 
• main mast–prime pole, ;
• pressure–pulls; 
• rigging–ropes; 
• pull apart–separate, ; 
• corned–saved from damage; 
• respite–relief, interval of rest, ; 
• deteriorate–grow worse, worsen, ; 
• dawn–daybreak; 
• desperate–hopeless; 
• respond–reply; 
• heave-to–lift, raise with great effort, ; 
• improvise–to use whatever is available,; 
• anchor–a heavy metal object which helps to keep a ship In one place ; 
• barrels–drums; 
• paraffin–wax; 
• planks–long flat pieces of sawn timber, ; 
• rode out–survived.; 
• easing–cooling down.
• A sextant–an instrument for measuring,; 
• drift–slow currents.; 
• slits–thin openings, ; 
• caricature–funny representation of a person, ; 
• compass–instrument with magnetised needle, ; 
• variation–changes indicating direction; 
• conviction–firm belief, ; 
• dozed off–slept; 
• tousled–rough, disorderly, ; 
• hug–embrace, ; 
• chorused–spoke jointly, ; 
• stark–bare, stiff naked; 
• bleak–cheerless; 
• little vegetation–no greenery. Barren; 
• anchored–dropped the heavy iron piece,; 
• off-shore–near the shore. ; 
• inhabitants–residents, ; 
• optimistic–hopeful; 
• direst–extreme, most horrible; 
• stress–pressure, strain; 
• crucial–critical; 
• subsequently–coming after, ; 
• recurring–coming up again and again; 
• clot–half solid lump,