The Perfect Storm was released in 2000 and tells the true story of an American fishing disaster. The film was directed by Wolfgang Petersen and starred George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg. It focuses on the ill fated voyage of the fishing vessel Andrea Gail.
Final Voyage
This private ship measured 72 feet in length and was constructed in 1978. Its home port was Marblehead in Massachusetts where it would head out to the deep sea in order to catch fish. Andrea Gail made its final voyage on September 20, 1991. After a disappointing outing where very little fish were caught, the captain, Frank W. Tyne Jr decided to head further east.
Unfortunately they would end up encountering a very powerful and destructive weather pattern which was later dubbed “The Perfect Storm”. The captain was
aware of severe weather warnings in the area. However, he decided to continue his course regardless in order to make a big catch.
As the storm worsened, the ice machine on the ship malfunctioned. This meant that the caught fish needed to be brought back to land as soon as possible. Tyne Jr. set a course for home which would end up leading the ship into even more dangerous waters. Contact with the ship was lost and all crew members are presumed to have died at sea.
Speculation
The film version of the story can only guess as to how the ship met its demise. It depicts Andrea Gail heading straight into a colossal wave. The height of this wave is too much for the vessel, which capsizes, causing the crew to become trapped and drown. In reality there is speculation over the exact nature of how Andrea Gail was lost.
