Taking the Sea: Perilous Waters, Sunken Ships, and the True Story of the Legendary Wrecker Captains - Hardcover

By the mid-19th century, an intrepid, reck­less group of men ruled the ocean. Known as “wreckers,” they made their living by rescuing ships in distress and raising sunken ones, even in the face of monstrous waves and fierce weather. To some, they were heroes, helping to rescue both passengers and ships with courage and skill. To others, they were ruthless pirates, who exploited these ship­wrecks purely for their treasure. The vessels they rescued could be waterlogged on a reef or stuck high and dry on rocky shoals. They could be listing on the beach or rolling in the turbulent surf miles out to sea. The crew could have hastily abandoned the ship—in which case it was considered to be a “derelict” with enor­mous salvage value—or people might be still aboard, desperate to be taken off, even fearful of their would-be rescuers. But the daring wreckers, or ship salvagers, came aboard.

In Taking the Sea, Dennis Powers uncovers a fascinating, yet up to now largely unknown, period in our history. Here he traces the journey of these legendary men through the story of Captain Thomas P. H. Whitelaw, the most important ship salvager of his day. Powers offers a compelling portrait of Whitelaw and the other wrecker captains, recounting the dangerous lives they and their men led. He tells us their stories from the early beginnings when needy villagers followed stricken ships in the hopes of improving their lives a little to the heyday of the wreckers in the early twentieth century when steamships and schooners ruled this country’s byways.

Starting with the early years of wrecking in Europe, Dennis Powers explores the evolution of ship salvaging. The confrontational battles in the Florida Keys eventually give way to the well capitalized, specialized companies represented by the legendary wrecker captains like Thomas Whitelaw, Israel J. Merritt, and Thomas Scott. Powers explains in fascinating detail how these wreckers raised sunken ships, using pontoons and caissons, powerful tugs, strong donkey engines, and an understanding of the moon and tides to create an artificial buoyancy inside the hull. From the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, we travel along with these men and Captain Whitelaw as they face the savage seas to save foundering ships and frightened passengers.

Beautifully written and vividly told, this is a magnificent look at the untold history of the courageous men who earned their living by taking ships away from the sea.

DENNIS M. POWERS is the author of ten books, including the acclaimed maritime narratives Sentinel of the Seas, Treasure Ship, and The Raging Sea. He has also been featured in USA Today, on CNN, Hard Copy, Extra!, The O’Reilly Factor, and other shows. Dennis Powers lives in Ashland, Oregon. 

More information about the author

and his books is available at his website: www.dennispowersbooks.com.

“­Incredibly well researched and descriptive, Taking the Sea skillfully draws the reader into the precarious life of shipwreck salvage...A fascinating read.”

—    Jennifer Hooper McCarty, co-author of What Really Sank the Titanic: New Forensic Discoveries

“Definitive and engrossing history of those fearless and determined seagoing entrepreneurs of yesteryear known as the ‘master wreckers’...No maritime library is complete without Dennis Powers’s Taking the Sea.”

— Bruce Henderson, author of Down to the Sea:

An Epic Story of Naval Disaster and Heroism in World War II

“A wonderful story that all shipwreck hunters, wreckers, and lovers of the sea

will enjoy.”

—    Jim Kennard, shipwreck explorer and discoverer of the HMS Ontario     

“A compelling story of the brave and ambitious men who forged a new industry in the waning days of sail...Dennis Powers salvages valuable treasure from the depths of America’s rich maritime history.”

— Brian Hicks, author of Raising the Hunley and When the Dancing Stopped:

The Real Story of the Morro Castle Disaster and Its Deadly Wake

  “Taking the Sea is a book to be relished by readers who love tales of maritime adventures...a fine book.”

— Willie Drye, author of Storm of the Century: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935