# Not now, moose I'll tell you when # Here's a dance you should know # When the lights are down low # Grab your baby then go # Do the Hucklebuck # Do the Hucklebuck # If you don't know how to do it Boy, you're out of luck # Push your partner out # Then you hunch your back # Start a little movement in your sacroiliac # Wiggle like a snake... # Now, Bernie, seriously, this is where they asked us to meet? Yeah. What do you mean? Oh, I think I see her! Where? Oh, it's got to be her! So what we going to do? Are we going to grab a milkshake, Bernie? Is that why we're here? Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I guess. All right. You're going to owe me big for this. So... HE WHISTLES You think I should have worn the other shirt? You look nice. I don't know, Gus, maybe... What if she don't like the look of me or something? Bernie, come on. Are you serious? What about her? Aren't you dying to see what she looks like? She could be a dog. No, she isn't a dog. She could be! I already know what she looks like in my head. She ain't a dog! So, you've been talking to her for weeks on the phone, right? Yeah. Right? Yeah. If she likes you from talking to you, Bernie, then I don't think you got to worry about her getting a good look at you. That ain't never been your problem! Let's go. HE KNOCKS ON CAR Come on. Should have worn the other shirt. I'm the one taking a risk. Doubling with some girl I never even spoke to, let alone seen. I don't know why this Miriam girl says it's got to be a double date anyway. Maybe she's not sure about me yet. How can anybody not be sure about you, Bernie? Thanks, Gus. Yeah. Hey, don't tell none of the guys down at the station about this. It's not like you've never been on a date before. Er... Excuse me. Are you Miriam? No. I'm her friend. She's, er... Hi. How you doing? I'm Gus. Catherine. It's nice to meet you. GIGGLING OK, we'll talk later. Bye. Hi. Wait. You are Bernie Webber, right? Er... Yeah. Yeah, I'm Bernie. Hey, you two, let's go grab a drink. You want to go? Sure. How you doing? I'm Gus. You know, for a minute there, I thought it was Smokey the Bear making a call in that booth. Because of your jacket. Oh. Bernie, Miriam's never been on a boat. She's scared of the water. Has she never? I told her, I don't know how she's going to date a guy in the coastguard. I'm not scared. I live on the Cape! Don't worry, Miriam. You know, we... We all get scared out there. I'm not afraid of the water, Bernie. It... scares me at night, that's all, you know? You can't see what's underneath. Just more water. JAZZ PLAYS So, why... Why didn't you want to meet me for a date? What... Why'd you wait so long? I didn't know if you'd be a... If I what? You know. No. You're so handsome, I just didn't know if you'd be attracted to me. Oh, God, no, Miriam, you're exactly how I pictured you. Yeah? Oh, yeah. Better. You know, my brother, he always says, "When you know, you just know." Which one? All of it. I guess you know everything. No, I mean which brother. Oh. I... Er... Paul. My brother Paul. He's the one who fought over in Germany, right? In Germany, yeah. He's the oldest, father's favourite and... All three of my brothers went over to the war. He's your father's what? LAUGHTER Hey. We should get Miriam out on a boat tonight. What do you say, buddy? We'll take out the dory. It'll be fantastic. You know we can't do that, Gus. We could get in trouble. Come on, Bernie! It'll be fun. Rules are rules. No! We don't got to row out far. Just so this sweet girl can say she's been on a boat, that's it. A rowboat? No. No. No, no. Small boats are... How about one of those bigger boats tied up to the dock? If Bernie's with me, I'll do it. Old fishing boat? Those fishermen don't want us around unless we're pulling them in. They think they own the goddamn harbour. They do! They're not very nice! Come on, don't be such a fathead, Miriam! Yeah. Let's go out on the dory. What's there to be afraid of? What's underneath, right? Mm-hm. Didn't get anything up there. Hey, there, Mr Stello. How's it going? Hey, Bernie. Mr Ryder. Hey, so, you see that girl sitting over there? The one with the coat looks like a bear, Bernie? Yeah. Can't miss her. I said the same thing myself. Funny you should say that, yeah. Looks like Smokey, right? Smokey the Bear. I don't know no Smokey, Bernie. Oh, it's just a cartoon. Anyway, Mr Stello, she thinks she's scared of going out on a boat, and I don't think we should row out on a dory. I don't want to her getting sick on that nice big coat. So, I was wondering if... So, you want to take her on the Anna G round the harbour? Yeah. Can't row out on that dory even if you wanted to, right, Bernie? Carl, stop. Year anniversary's coming. My sister's now living in my house. How's it going with you, Bernie? That's enough, Carl. He did all he could. I am sorry, Mr Nickerson. I didn't mean to upset you. Just wanted to ask Mr Stello about borrowing a boat. THEY LAUGH Give me your hands. It's OK. MUSIC: Vaya Con Dios # Now the hacienda's dark # The town is sleeping # Now the time has come to part # The time for weeping # Vaya con dios # My darling... # Just... Just follow my arms, OK? Mm-hm. Stay with me. It's all about the... It's all about the rhythm. OK, so it's... So it's, er... Here we go. One, two, three. Right, left, right. One, two, three. One, two, three. One... I can't one, two, three to this. Let's just sit down. No, sweetheart! Look, all you've got to do is you've got to relax and be patient. Settle in my hand. Hey, look, just... Here. Settle in my hand. You feel that? Just listen to the music, right? And... One, two, three. One, two, three. Right, left, right. You're doing great. # Now the dawn is breaking through # A grey tomorrow # But the memories we share # Are there to borrow # Vaya con dios... # Will you marry me? What? Will you marry me? Er... No. # Vaya con dios # My darling # Vaya con dios... # Miriam, hold on! It's cold, sweetheart. Don't you want to go back inside? The band's not through. It's cold, do you feel it? There's a storm coming. OK. OK what? OK, let's get married. I just... I don't want to... Want to what? Well, it's only been a few months and it's still winter, after all, and, look, you know, there's a storm coming, it's just like this one that come through last year. What does that... I heard it's going to miss us. Yeah, but maybe not, you never know. You never know. Some people... They're just not cut out for this. Sometimes, you go out and you don't come back. Are you talking about the storm or marriage, Bernie? I think I'm talking about the storm. Right? You're scared of the storm? No. I don't want to disappoint nobody. And... ..I don't want to lose you. I love you. So... ..yeah, let's get married. You sure? Oh, yeah. When? You want me to pick a date? No! When do you want to get married? April 16th. OK. OK. April 16th it is. But.... All right. I've got to ask permission from Cluff first. You've got to ask permission? Yeah, it's from my commanding officer. It's coastguard regulation. But, promise, I'll ask him tomorrow. OK, Bernie. Let's get you home. SHE GIGGLES Then you can dance. Ah! Look at that. It's already starting to snow. WIND HOWLS THUNDER CRACKS Can you hear me over this humming, captain? They're fractured. They were welded last month. That's not going to hold in these seas, captain. Takes a bad jolt, she could fracture again. I don't have to go on deck, captain. I can hear it from right down here. That weld is really humming. It's humming, sir! The weld is... humming. I'd like to take it down to three knots, please. If we don't slow it down, captain, we might not have a... ..position to hold. No problem, captain. Holding at seven knots. Thank you, sir. Hey, Pop? I hear it. You want to go up on deck, have a look at those crack rusters holding that weld together? Might as well go and get a hat, Popo. What did he say? He says he'd like you to consider taking a hat with you, as well. BOAT RUMBLES Get some sleep. # The people all said sit down # Sit down You're rocking the boat. # Hey, Pops. What you know about this weather? It's killing me and young Eldon here. Tiny, sure it's the weather? Maybe it's your singing. # Oh, the people all said sit down # Sit down You're rocking the boat... # Come on. # The people all said sit down # Sit down You're rocking the boat. # Shut up, shut up, shut up! Hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa! It's rough. It's going to get worse. Sybert! I didn't make it topside! That weld can't hold in these seas! You've got to slow her down. I'm calling the captain back. WHIRRING TENSE MUSIC CREAKING, SHATTERING (SCREAMS) SHOUTING It's coming loose! You OK, Pops? Yeah. Reinforce the bulkhead! We've got a hull fracture in the engine room! All hands must get mattresses! Blankets! Whatever you can get your hands on! SHOUTING Tchuda! HE WHISTLES Yeah, boy! I can't get anyone on the bridge. I need you to go up and tell the captain we've got an 18-foot fracture in our hull. Tell him these pumps are holding for now but pull her in a port or we're going to wreck. Captain don't understand me. I know he can't understand you. He doesn't listen to anyone anyway. GRUNTS FOREBODING MUSIC Jesus, Mary and Joseph! * NIGELLA LAWSON: Whittaker's have always believed that best is better, and now Andrew and Brian have made a luscious new caramel filling. It's creamier, more buttery and velvety. Mmm. Better in every way. * Cold out there? Yeah. You still trying to fix that darn thing? Yeah. Ah, come on, Fitzy. It's useless. Let the guy who fixes it, come fix it. I would if he would show up. What's this on the radio? Ship breaking up? That's the Fort Mercer. Fort... Fort Mercer? She's a big lady. She's a T2 tanker. Started radioing a couple of hours ago. Apparently, she's got a big crack in her hull. It's spilling oil all over the place. She's about 20 miles east off of Nantucket. Sounds like Boston and Nantucket are sending out their entire fleet, huh? We could be next. You ever seen gale force winds 50-60mph? Yeah, yeah. It's going to be a mess. RADIO CHATTERS Oh, Bernie, Bernie, Miriam called for you. Yeah. Good luck, pal. KNOCK ON DOOR Yeah. Mr Cluff. It's me, Bernie, sir. Webber. Pick yourself a crew. Go out there, help them fishermen secure their boats to the pier. Yes, sir. Sir, I need to ask you a question. I need permission about a... About a girl. Permission? Permission for a girl? Mr Cluff, it's working. Yes, sir. Not now, Webber. But... No, sir, it's not just some girl... Not now, Webber. We're back up. Cluster here's the Mercer rescue, right? And this here other pip, two miles from here? We must still be getting phantom echoes. How are we supposed to tell where anything is out there? When's the technician coming, Fitzpatrick, and where the hell's Chief Bangs? All right. It's Fitzgerald, sir. Chief Bangs is in the mess hall, sir. You making fun of my accent because I'm not from around here? No, Mr Cluff. Why are you still standing here, Webber? Sir, but... Take Livesey here with you, go top them fishing boats. Yes, sir. You want me to go with Webber, sir? Secure fishing boats? You didn't hear me, Livesey? Yeah, you with Webber. Sorry, Rich. His orders. That's enough time, what do you think? Huh? We're taking on water, we've got to launch some lifeboats. Why you got to be such a jackass, Brown? Least we can do, pray for the captain, Chief Collagen, rest of them men. All good men. Ain't we good men, Quirey? Don't get me wrong, praying's great but it ain't everything. We need to actually do something. Sybert. A word. That hothead Brown, he wants to launch the lifeboats. The lifeboats? Quirey, he wants to do nothing. Between them, the two of them are getting the men worked up. You... HORNS BLOW Now, I figure that you know the boat better than anybody, you're practically married to it, so I think they'll listen to you. Listen to me? Pop, those men don't like me. Nobody on the ship likes me but you and Tchuda. They might not like you but they'll know to listen to you. DRAMATIC FOREBODING MUSIC We don't know if the captain got off an SOS. Radio room's gone, they can't call nobody. Just Garcia over here with his little short wave trying to pick up chatter. I mean, far as we know, nobody even knows we're out here. I'm saying we launch the lifeboats now and get off the ship while we can. How you going to get them in the water in this storm? It can't be done. Those boats are too small. It's suicide, Brown! You can't do this, you can't do that. What do you want us to do, Quirey? Just sit up here doing nothing? That's it, nothing. No officers, no orders. Every man for himself. That ain't the way, Brown. You never did nothing for nobody. Now, ship's split at the bulkhead separating tanks eight and nine and Mr Sybert says that the other tanks aren't fractured so the air in the ballast tank should keep us afloat. But Mr Sybert also says... Mr Sybert says this, Mr Sybert says that. He's a big boy, let him say it himself. He's right here. Go ahead. HORNS BLARE Er... We're sinking. But the whistle works, so should keep blowing that. Maybe somebody'll hear it. I don't know but we're definitely sinking if the crack in the engine room has taken on too much water. Pumps can't keep up. If the water reaches the air intake in the engine, we're going to lose all the power. If we lose power, we lose the pumps, if we lose the pumps... She's gonna drop pretty quick. How long have we got before that happens? Four, maybe five hours. WORRIED MURMURING We need to buy ourselves some time. So somebody can find us. If anybody's even looking. Even if they do know we're here, those sea is big enough. I mean, it ripped this thing in half. How the hell are they going to get out? That's why I'm saying we gotta launch the lifeboats! Our luck's running out. I don't believe in luck, Brown. Put those lifeboats out in those seas, they won't last 12 seconds. You and Quirey both, you just want to sit around and do nothing. You got a better idea, Sybert? Or are you just going to go hide back down below? We're going to run her aground. CONFUSED MURMURING Do what? You want to run her aground, Sybert? Even if you could, with half a ship, why would you? She'd break apart, dump us all out in that sea. It's our only choice. We're going to find a soft shoal, we'll lay her up. Slow the water that's coming in. Stay in the same spot, we'll blow the whistle and give whoever's coming to look for us a chance to find us. You're going to steer a ship without hydraulics? That's your plan? How's that going to work? We're gonna build a manual tiller. Hey, Sybert, why should we even listen to you? The one thing you ever cared about was the ship. I tell ya, you two make a cute couple at the bottom of the ocean. Me, I'm gonna get on a lifeboat. No. Look... We'll insert a steel beam into the steering quadrant. We'll put pulleys on the end of it for leverage. And we'll move her manually. MURMURING Excuse me. Excuse me? I think I got the radio working. 'Veering 83 degrees true, 27 miles from Pollock Rip. 'About 20 miles east of Nantucket.' East of Nantucket? That ain't the Pendleton. Fort Mercer, that's another T2. Another tanker split in two, besides us? But if everyone's going to help them, who's gonna... Who's gonna come for us? * How you feeling? You all right? Mmm... Did you, did you ask Cluff yet? No. Why don't you ask him? Hey, Webber! What's wrong with you? I don't... Webber! What? You ask him yet? You ask Cluff? I told you not to tell nobody! I'm sorry. I'm not having a good day. I know you're not feeling well... You know, Webber, you don't need permission to get married. Actually, you do, chief... Unless you're underage. Well, thanks, chief, just following regulations. Let's go get suited up. Ah, it's not regulation, Webber. It's just a formality, like a courtesy. But, hey, did I hear right? That she asked you? Following orders, right, Webber? Yeah, yeah, she asked me, chief. Wow. Wow, you sure you got your pants on, Webber? Or is she wearing them? Sounds like this girl cut off your... What, Webber? What? Don't you got boats to tie up? She's my fiancee, sir. Who asked you... ..to be married. THE MEN SNIGGER Come on, Richie, let's go. PHONES RINGING Yes, ma'am, one moment. Hold the line... I'm sorry, sir, please speak up. This line is bad, ma'am, I'll try and reconnect you. The line's down... Bernie? How are you, how's work? It's been one of those days, you know? How are you? Hey, you're not the radar technician, are you? Erm, no. I was ordered to hole up her till the storm passes. Catch a ride back out to my lightship. You can go wait in the mess hall if you want to. Now is not a good time, you know? I gotta get ready, go down to the pier, tie up some boats. I wish you were here with me. I'm hearing all sorts of things about a ship breaking up... Oh! You OK? Yeah, we just lost our lights. You better go find them then. Nantucket's dispatched their 36-footer to Mercer. We got orders... You ask Cluff yet? That's him, right? Not yet, sweetie... I'll explain later, I just gotta go. OK. I love you. I love you too. Yeah, bye. ..best part of it is, she had no idea who I was... Bangs? Pick yourself a crew, take the 36500 out of harbour, precede the Fort Mercer, 20 miles east of here off Nantucket, you hear? I don't believe we'd get over the bar in this weather, Mr Cluff. Better off taking the 36383 out of Stage Harbour. That would take longer, right? Not much. What you think, Webber? Tch... You're a bosun mate too, you know what it's like out there. Look, no-one's getting over the bar in this weather, Mr Cluff, Nobody. It's a suicide mission. We should take the 36383 out of Stage Harbour. It'll take longer, sure. At least we'll be able to get out. Godspeed, chief. Webber, take Gouthro and Livesey down the fishing pier. Yes, sir. SHIP'S HORN HORN CONTINUES Don't get me sick, Gus. You shouldn't even be out here. Why you always ragging on us, Richie? Don't take it out on us just because you couldn't go out with Bangs. At least he'll get out. Screw you. That was a year ago! Screw you. No-one coulda got over the bar that day. Bangs coulda. Oh, really, Richie? But he's not trying to get across the bar today. No, he's taking the 36383 right out from the nice, protected bay site. Ah. (COUGHS) Bernie, it doesn't matter what Richie thinks. Bangs... Nobody, nobody could have got out to save the men in the Landry. Sometimes, you know... Sometimes men die, right? (TENSE MUSIC) How many more? Two more! All right, here we go. All right, hang on. Now, easy, fellas. You got it. Yep, up, up, up. One... Two... All together now... Three! ALL GRUNT OK, boys, I got it. All right, now we got a tiller. We're going to drive her up on a shoal. Uh-uh, Brown and them others, they're getting ready to launch some lifeboats. They think it's their best hope. Oh, Pop. We need every guy we got. Well, they're going to take them lifeboats. What you trying to do, Sybert?! Get off him! You trying to kill us? You trying to kill us? Let go! Brown... You're out of your mind! He just saved your life, OK? The boat's in pieces! It's gone! Enough! That boat is too small for these seas. In this ship, we'll be sunk by nightfall. Now, every fella here wants to live, the only way that happens is if we run her aground. Now, we're going to set up a watch and look out for a shoal. I need four men working the pulleys on the emergency tiller. I need four men manning the pumps and the steering. The rest of you on a bucket line topside, down below, communicating with the engine room. And somebody... ..keep blowing that whistle. You heard him, boys! Now move it, come on! Sounds like you're the man now, Sybert. Hope you didn't just kill us all. I saw a ship drifting, heard it whistle. A distress signal, 45 minutes ago, Bernie, from my house. Ah... With the wind blowing south and those currents, I guess that'd put her close to here about now, coming up over the bar. Can't be part of the Mercer, Bernie. She's off Nantucket, 40 miles, that means she would have drifted northwest, right? I know what I heard. I know what I saw. OK then... How about we go back to the station, see if we can get to the bottom of it. Just got off the phone with Boston. They diverted a plane from the Mercer, and it sighted the stern of the tanker Pendleton, five miles east of here. My God, two tankers broken in half in one day. It's got to be some kind of record. Boston and Nantucket have dispatched all their boats to the Mercer. They can't make it here in this weather. Webber? Pick yourself a crew, take that 36500 out, you go over the bar, and you find the stern of the Pendleton, you hear? Yes, sir. Erm... You fellows want to get warmed up, get some coffee? Bernie... Yeah? What? What Carl's trying to say...this isn't about the Landry. Sure it is. Richie, eight men died that night. You and Gus and Masachi couldn't even get out. What makes you think you can do it now? You know the bar on this kind of day, right, Bernie? Yeah. That man don't know what he's doing, he's sending you out to die. No... You can't make it over Chatham Bar on a day like this. You can't stay afloat for long on half a ship neither. You know, this is something they say in the coastguard - you gotta go out, but they don't say you gotta come back in. That's regulation, you know. Bernie, better you get lost before you go too far out there. Don't worry about me, Mr Ryder. I can't get lost out there, I know those waters pretty good. I'm not going to get lost out there... No, no, no, Bernie - what Dave's trying to say is that you should just motor around the harbour, say you tried to get out and couldn't. You know? Thank you, Mr Ryder, thank you. Mr Stello, I'm going to do my best to get out there. I don't know if I will, but I'm going to try. Some weather, ain't it? OK. I guess Richie's in. Who else? I don't know, Gus, you can hardly lift your head. Who else you going to take, Bernie? Fitz is the only other engineman left, and he's only third class. He don't got the experience. I'll go. Yeah, I can... I can do the job. I can do it, you can't go. You're sick as a dog, Gus. He's right, Gus. One more. Someone has to go out there and save those guys, right? That's why I signed up. Guess now's my chance. Seaman Ervin Maske, Stonehorse Lightship. WIND HOWLS PHONE RINGS MAN: Look around. As the Favourites come out, it begins. Working as the Dream team. Nice! Ah. The flirt. Classic! Cadbury Favourites. * HORN Pumps aren't keeping up. Three more feet? Before we lose the engines. You locked that boiler room? You're crazy to think you can steer a boat with a couple of ropes and a handmade tiller. You got a better idea, I'm all ears. There! A shoal, about a mile distance. We can make that. Rudder 15 degrees to port, half speed if we want to hit it head-on. Got to make a turn 80 degrees on the compass to 310! Rudder 15 degrees port! Half speed! 80 degrees to 310 on compass! 15 degrees port, half speed, 80 degrees to 310 on compass! Rudder 15 degrees port, half speed, 80 degrees to 310 on compass! Rudder 15 degrees port, half speed, 80 degrees to 310 on compass! Rudder 15 degrees port, half speed, 80 degrees to 310 on compass! Rudder 15 degrees port, half speed, 80 degrees to 310 on compass! Rudder 15 degrees port, half speed, 80 degrees to 310 on compass! Rudder 15 degrees port, half speed, 80 degrees to 310 on compass! Thank you, Eldon. All right, you guys! Now pull! Pull, pull, pull! Come on! Please tell me we're taking that boat to a bigger boat? You ever been on a rescue mission before? No. Mostly I just chip paint. Sometimes I cook for the boys. Great. All right, you take the glory hole. I'm Maske. Ervin Maske. Ervin, yeah. Richie, drop the mooring line when you can. Last known position of the Pendleton is here. So I figure, once we cross the bar, I reckon with the currents, she'll have drifted about here, about six miles from us. So you think Bernie can get us out past the bar in this? I've never seen anything like it. Yeah, I mean, he's just got to be sure that he doesn't pitch bowl us, that's all. Huh? The power of the waves in that bar, they can pick you up, they can send you end-for-end, over and over again. There's no way to survive that. That's pitch bowling. Hey, Fitz, we good? Give it a shot! ENGINE FIRES Free the lines! Line free! FAINT RADIO CHATTER Did Bernie go out, Gus? Miriam, what are you doing here? Did he? Yeah, Cluff sent him. I want to talk to him. Who? Cluff. Your commanding officer, where is he? I want to find out where Bernie is, I'm worried about him. We're supposed to get married. Miriam, this isn't what any of the other girls do. Or wives! They don't come in here, and they don't do this. So? If you want, I guess you can wait in here, listen to what's going on. Sit down. RADIO CHATTER CONTINUES TENSE MUSIC MEN SHOUT ORDERS TO EACH OTHER Tide's rising, gonna work us off that shoal. We need to hit it hard. Yeah, there's no other way. Wave! Can you feel that? She's drifting. Must've lost the tiller. We gotta slow our headway or we're gonna miss that shoal for good! Close the governor valves, cut the propulsion, we gotta isolate the boiler. We gotta conserve everything she's got left! I keep telling you, this boat's just bad luck! Got nothing to do with luck! INDISTINCT SHOUTING FROM ABOVE Station Chatham, this is CG 36-500, do you copy? 'This is Station Chatham. 36-500, where is your location, over?' 'Station Chatham, we are now passing Morris Island, heading down the channel towards Chatham bar, over. What's it mean, going over that bar? Miriam, don't do this to yourself. Why not? Why not, Gus? If I'm going to be with him, I want to know. You're the girl with the bear-coat, right? Yeah. Yeah, that's me. You gonna tell me what's it's like out there? Shoals on that bar are never the same place twice. Flood currents carrying them big ocean swells that rise up when they hit the shallows crash up against that bar. The outgoing tide crashes up against that bar. That, uh... That man shouldn't have sent them out to cross that bar in a storm like this. Maybe they can turn back, maybe they get lost before. Can't get out. You know Bernie, right? You know he won't get lost out there. You know he follows the rules. Yeah, we know. We're all going down to the pier soon, see if there's anything we can do down there. Welcome to come. Miriam, Miriam, Miriam! Please come here. Miriam! Excuse me, are you Commander Cluff? Who are you? I'm Miriam Pentinen, Bernie Webber's girlfriend. I want you to call Bernie back in. The girl he was askin' me about - do you know what he was gonna ask me? For your permission to marry me. Well, that's between you, him and your god. Asking me is just a formality, he can marry all he wants. Don't you know that? But you can't be in here, Miss. RADIO CHATTER It's Bernie. 'Chatham bar dead ahead. Over.' 36-500, Station Chatham, Proceed as directed, towards Pendleton's stern. BREAKING UP: 'I didn't copy that, Station Chatham, the conditions...' Why give us permission if you're sending him out to die? What the hell! Gouthro, get her outta here! Sir, winds have gone from 40 to 60 since the call first come in. That's gonna be hurricane-strength in an hour. Gouthro, he's got his orders. You get her outta here, and you get yourself to bed, you're too sick to be in here. 36-500, Station Chatham, proceed over the bar. 'I repeat, proceed. 'Once over, travel directly south.' The radar's intermittent but it's showin' a pip, 10 to 12 miles east of Monomoy Point, movin' south. Over. Station Chatham, this is the 500...copy that. I hear what everyone's sayin'. You don't know what you're doing. Excuse me? Maybe...maybe it's because you're not from here. You don't know what it's like out there. What the hell would you know what it's like out there, Miss? Hmm? Please just call them back. What do you think it's gonna be like being married to a coastguard man? Please, just call them back. You gonna come in here, scared, every time he's out on the water? Please call them back. YOU don't belong here. Please call them back. Get out of here! Get outta my station! And go home to where you belong, Miss. Please call them back. Get outta my station! SHE GASPS TYRES SCREECH, SHE GASPS SHE YELPS (SIGHS) Tim woke with a nasty cold. But a cold won't stop him from making her... (DINGS) ..the best costume ever. 'Cause even though Tim has a cold... (CHILDREN GASP) ..he won't let it stand in his way, thanks to the powerful relief of Codral. * WIND HOWLS, SEA ROARS Shoal's getting behind us. Only chance now is a harder turn, if the chains hold, but... it could capsize us. SAILORS GRUNT AND STRAIN That's good, boy. SHIP'S FRAME CREAKS CHAIN RATTLES SAILOR: Hold it! You need to stand clear, boys. Those shackles crack and these chains snap and they'll rip right through ya. Here we go. SHIP RUMBLES Got her movin'! Yeah. LOW BOOMING You hear that? That's it. That's...that's the bar. Couple of minutes now, boys. SINGS FOLK SONG # When I was a little boy # So my mother told me # To me OTHERS JOIN IN: # Way, haul away # We'll haul away, Joe # Now first I met a Yankee girl # She was fat and lazy # To me # Way, haul away # We'll haul away, Joe # Then I met an Irish girl # She damn near drove me crazy # To me # Way, haul away # We'll haul away Joe # Way, haul away # We're ploughin' for better weather # To me Way, haul away # We'll haul away, Joe. # WAVES CRASH Hey, boys! We're not going to be able to see much, all right? We'll have to listen to those waves hitting that bar. Got to time it. So, I'm going to wait for a low... and then we go. We got faith in you, Skip. Any time you're ready, you just go, Bernie, all right? HE SHIVERS WAVES CRASH VIOLENTLY HE WHIMPERS ENGINE REVS HE CRIES OUT FEARFULLY MAN SHOUTS HE STRUGGLES The compass is gone! HE CRIES OUT ENGINE FALTERS Fitzy! The engine died! HE STRUGGLES I got it, I got it! Nah, you don't. You got about five seconds, boys! The gravity's bad! It doesn't know which way's up! I know! Come on! HE SHOUTS Whoa! HE SPLUTTERS Maske! Get back here! The tide's rising! It'll get us through! But let me know what's coming. HE PANTS WAVE CRASHES TENSE MUSIC HE GASPS HE PANTS Hey, Fitz! We made it over the bar! Back to the spotlight! Comin' out! * We turned too late! We got to buy that time back. Tell Sybert we need 30 degrees in the next two minutes! Or we'll miss that shoal. SHOUTING ECHOES 30 degrees in the next two minutes! 30 degrees in the next two minutes! 30 degrees in the next two minutes! 30 degrees in the next two minutes! 30 degrees in the next two minutes! 30 degrees in the next two minutes! We're putting her in reverse. We gotta let the ocean push us. Hold on. CHAIN RATTLES HE SHOUTS THEY CRY OUT SHIP CREAKS THEY YELP You may want to brace yourself, Eldon. 318! 316! Closing down... as soon as she hits. MEN SHOUT 312! Gentlemen...brace yourselves. Hold on! OMINOUS SILENCE LOUD THUD THEY YELL Now! CRASH! THEY STRUGGLE Coming in! HE GROANS (MUFFLED CREAKING, SILENCE) SHOUTING WHOOPING AND LAUGHING Well. We did it! You did it. It bloody well worked, Mr Sybert. We got to keep the water away from the air inlets for the engine. If we lose power, we lose our pumps. I'm afraid we've taken on so much water, the weight will pull us right back off the shoal. It feels funny not to be moving around, huh, Eldon? All right. Let's get to it! SHE SHIVERS We're heading down the lodge. Everything OK? CHILD SHOUTS Hi! Quiet down now, my God, give me a break! I was on my way home. My car spun out into a ditch. I need some help. Yeah, all right, we live near here. We can go back to my house. I'll call my brother, he can tow you out. Jump in. Thank you! You don't got a coat? You can move that, we're bringing it down St Martin's, in case there are any survivors. Oh. I left my coat at the coastguard's station. You got a man there? Stop it! Uh...well, he... He's not there right now. It's, um... It's Bernie Webber. Yeah. Bernie, he's a good man. TENSE MUSIC We can't find 'em without a compass, Bernie! We got no idea where they are! Hold on! ENGINE ROARS HE GROANS HE WHIMPERS You OK? You OK? I'm having a great time now, Bernie! Lot of fun! Brace yourselves! Whole lotta, whole lotta fun here. Get in there! Keep moving! SHOUTING Here! Come on, take it! Use it! What happened? What's wrong with it? We lost the pumps. The pumps are tripping the breakers! Give me the light. It's not worth a damn, but, uh... You know, sometimes I wish I didn't understand you. HE CHUCKLES Sybert, what's going on? We're using every pump we've got. We jammed the breakers so the pumps wouldn't trip 'em. We've got about two feet till the water hits those air inlets to the engines and then the ship's dead. Jesus Christ. You hear that? That's the tide rising, gonna work us off this shoal. Look, look - this'll at least give us some time. Isn't that right, Mr Sybert? Yeah, right, sure does, bud. Yeah, as long as we got the generators keeping the pumps going. Buy whoever might be coming to find us a little bit of time. Well, you wanted to be the man, Sybert. Now you're the man, right? Except you got no wife, you got no kids back home. You're a single man. Always hiding down below. What you got to lose? That's enough, Brown. I'm scared too, Brown. I've got a life the same as you. I just don't see the point in sitting around talking about it. Station Chatham, 36500. Station Chatham, 36500. Do you copy? 'Station Chatham, this is Chief Bangs. 'CG-36383.' Pollock lightship, CG-36500. Do you copy? 'CG-36...' Why can't they hear us, Bernie?! We can hear them! '..seas are too high. Zero headway.' Station Chatham, do you copy? 'Repeat - we're coming home.' 'Station Chatham, 36383, return to Old Harbour.' Pollock lightship, CG-36500, do you copy?! We're all alone. You heard? Bang's on the radio. It sounds like he couldn't get out, and the...storm is getting worse. We should turn back in, Webber. Look, Bernie, we already made it out further than anybody thought was possible! Maybe Richie's right. Maybe we should just go back! ON RADIO: 'Winds at force of eight to nine. 'Repeat - winds at force of eight to nine. 'Heavy snowfall.' You heard Bangs on the radio? We got no compass. We have no way to communicate! You're... What?! What?! I'm what, Richie?! I got us out this far, didn't I? Not Bangs or Cluff or nobody else! I did it! We did it, Richie. You want to turn back around? No. No, not now. We came too far. We're not giving up on 'em. URGENT MESSAGE ON RADIO RADIO OFF Not on my watch. Just do your job. We'll run her dark! Best shot at seeing light from the Pendleton if we're running dark. Watch it! HE YELLS Get back here! HE GASPS Get your butts back here! I lost my hat! Look at those big, brown eyes. This is the time he won 'Baby of the Month' competition for the local Courier newspaper. 'Course, we weren't in very much doubt about it, cos he's so photogenic, eh? (CHUCKLES) I used to dread these afternoons. Now I positively cherish them. Play music. (JAUNTY CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS) Buckle up, Margaret. This is the future of bragging. # Oh, oh. Oh, oh. Oh. # * CREAKING You OK? Yeah. Yeah. I'm just tired. Come on. You kids go on and play in the bedroom. You can wait with him, Miss, till I call my brother. Thanks! Please call me Miriam. You think your mother would mind if I turned on the radio? HE MURMURS 'Coastguard Boston, this is the Unimak. 'We're at the Mercer Bough now, here at the port of the Yakutat. 'Four Mercer crewmen jumped from the deck. 'All were lost. 'Repeat - four men lost. 'Several crew members have hypothermia. 'We're going to wait till daybreak to attempt another rescue. 'Over.' Does no good listening to all that chatter, Miriam. Better learning to live not knowing. 'At roughly 1900 hours...' How long you been married to Bernie for? We're... ..we're not married yet. I didn't know if I... Like I said, Bernie is a good man. Him and some of them others tried getting out a year ago, saved my husband Arnie and the crew of the Landry. They were out fishing on Nantucket Sound and the boat started taking on water. Night just like this. Come on! We got to get going. My brother's on his way to come meet us. I... I've got to get down the lodge. Come on, you two. HORN BLARES ELECTRICAL BUZZING # For the people all said sit down # Sit down You're rocking the boat # People said sit down # Sit down You're rocking the boat... # SINGING CONTINUES # Sit down sit down sit down... # ELECTRICS FALTER SILENCE You know who she is? Ain't Bernie's fault, Carl. Ain't nobody's fault. It'd be like her blaming you. For what? You're the one that told 'em there's another ship out there. They're out there because of you, right? Fitz! DRAMATIC MUSIC I can't believe we found her! Look at that! We're too late. She's a ghost ship. Are you seeing this, sir? Yeah! You see that guy? Yeah, yeah! I see him! Not sure I believe it. Where the hell is he going? MEN CRY FOR HELP Good to see you, boys! FRANTIC SHOUTING How we going to fit them all on this boat? We're only built to hold 12, including us. That's just regulation, though, right? How many can she fit? 20, 22 tops. Come on! Drop that ladder! Wait! They're coming down here. HE SHOUTS HE SHOUTS Drag to station, port side. Argh! Argh! Argh! Come on, I gotcha. We got ya. Argh! Maske, get over here! Come on! Grab him! * You know where you goin' now, Miss? I think so. Thanks for your help, Mr Nickerson. Yeah. You know... Bernie ain't out there, cos of me. Yeah, I know. It's Bernie's job to go out, right? How can I blame you for it? SHOUTING Nice and slow! Nice and slow! You're all right! Stop pushing! Pete, you're next. Take it nice and slow! Easy! Easy! Come on. We gotta go! We're leavin' nobody behind. Get on that ladder. We gotta get him down. We're running out of time! She's slippin', we gotta get off this ship. Hurry! Eldon, how you doin'? I'm scared. Well... ..it'd be a lot scarier up here without us. You gotta listen to me! Eldon? We're all gonna get off, stop pushin'! You just follow right behind me... if I can do it, anyone can. SHOUTING Come on. Nice and easy! Hold tight! Tiny! Tiny! Hold on! TENSE SOLEMN MUSIC SOLEMN MUSIC CONTINUES Eldon. Eldon! Eldon, look at me! Look at me! ALL GRUNT, ELDON WHIMPERS HE CRIES OUT DRAMATIC MUSIC When I say, "Jump!" - let go! Ready? Jump! You OK? Hold on tight. They're ridin' so heavy, you can hardly steer. They're saying there's still seven or eight up there onboard. Maybe...we take these guys back in and...come back out. Can't leave 'em out here alone, that boat won't last. We all live or we all die. Right? You, uh... You did good. You should be the last one off, Mr Sybert. POIGNANT MUSIC SHIP CREAKS SPLUTTERS, STRUGGLES Last man! TENSE MUSIC TENSE MUSIC SHIP CREAKS, WHINES WAVES CRASH TENSE SOLEMN MUSIC STIRRING MUSIC WAVES CRASH that searchlight, yeah? We were in radio contact with the McCullough, they said they lost four men, but saved the rest. The captain of the Pollock Rip sent word... Mr Cluff, it's 36-500, it's Bernie. The guy's on the radio! 'Chatham, Chatham, you copy?' CG-36-500, this Station Chatham. Webber, is that you? 'Yes, sir, it's me, Bernie. We got, uh...' 32 survivors aboard from... from the sinkin' Pendleton, sir. 'Station Chatham, do you copy?' 36-500, Station Chatham, did you say you have 32 survivors onboard? They rescued 'em, they rescued 32 of them! 'Yes, sir, 32.' 'We...we lost our compass, so we don't know where we are, 'but we're gonna try to make it back home.' Can't get back without a compass. Not in this weather. Can they make it back? You lost your compass, Webber? 'Negative, 36-500, this is the Pollock lightship, 'do not proceed to shore. 'We're five miles northeast of the Pendleton's last known location. 'Proceed to our position. Over.' CG-36-500, Station Chatham, 'proceed to Pollock lightship and unload all survivors. Over.' What do they know, right? Right, Richie? 'CG-36-500, do you copy?' If they know where they are... someone tell me where I am, cos I don't know where the hell we are. 'Webber, do you copy?' I'm not headin' out to sea...no. 'This is Station Chatham, do you copy?' We just got you all off a...off a boat, so there's no way we're... we're gonna get you all back up one. CG-36-500, this is Station Chatham. 'Webber, your orders are to proceed 'five miles northeast and unload all survivors onto the Pollock.' It sounds like he cut off his radio, Mr Cluff. He's going it on his own. Bernie Webber. What do you know? How are they gonna find their way home? He shut off the radio. Poor, poor boys. I can't believe this is happenin'. There's more stuff in the car. The power's out. The whole town, the power's out. It's worse than last year. They'll never make it. Let's get down to the pier. How did you find us without a compass? We...we just jogged along with the seasonal currents. I think we just got lucky. Yeah. Yeah... Lucky. Well, you know how you get home? To be honest with ya, I'm not sure. Just, uh, disobeyed all my ranking officers. They don't know, so I guess I... I'd better, then, right? With the wind on my left goin' out, even if I...keep it her on my right, we oughta be headin' the right direction. We follow the lights onshore, follow all the lights onshore. Well, we are in your hands, Cap'n. Listen up. I'm puttin' the sea behind us. Just let it push us along, till we land up somewhere. The storm's...storm's easin' up, boys, so... we just look for the lights on the shore to guide us in. Even if we have to go so far as Nobska Point, so be it! We just gonna find land! It's been one heck of a long day, right, fellas? Yeah, sure has. But don't you give up hope on me now. She's a good boat, she'll get us through. We'll get you home, OK? We're all goin' home. We're with you, Skipper. SHOUTS OF AGREEMENT * ENGINES HUM POIGNANT MUSIC POIGNANT MUSIC CONTINUES ENGINES HUM, TURN OFF TENSE MUSIC ENGINE WHIRRS POIGNANT MUSIC WAVES CRASH, WIND ROARS WAVES CRASH OMINOUS MUSIC HOPEFUL MUSIC POIGNANT MUSIC SHE SHIVERS Keep your lights on, like she's doin'! Quick! Turn your lights on! More light, so that they can see us. SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC HOPEFUL MUSIC POIGNANT MUSIC I think we made it over the bar. I think high tide carried us over! You see that? HE LAUGHS POIGNANT MUSIC Fitz, turn on the searchlight. STIRRING MUSIC Look, you see that? Is that our boys?! Is it them? Well done, Bernie! You did it, Webber! Way to go, Webber! '36-500 is now docking at the Chatham pier. 'There appear to be 32 survivors, sir. Repeat, we have 32 survivors.' You made it, boys! CHEERING It's a miracle! They made it! It's incredible! It's a miracle! Attaboy, Bernie! Give me a hand. C'mon, good to see ya. Nice and easy! This man's freezing, get me a coat. Go on in, it's warm inside. Let's get you up to the lodge. Coffee and blankets right over here. Good job, Cap'n. Well done, Bernie. Webber? Bernie. Let's go. We still good for April 16th? Yeah. Yeah. I asked Cluff for ya. He said it's just a formality. Just a formality. Now I know, right? Able 2018