When John and Jean Silverwood, both experienced sailors, decided to give their four children a taste of life on the high seas, they hoped the trip would offer important learning experiences, not only about the natural world but about the beauty of human life stripped down to its essence, far from civilization. But the adventure that awaited them would surpass anything they could have imagined. Aboard their fifty-five-foot catamaran, the Silverwood family found its bonds tested as never before as they struggled with family and marriage dynamics in compressed quarters alongside the terrifying forces of nature. In the crucible of the sea, a stronger, tighter unit was forged. Then, just when it seemed that they had mastered every challenge, their world was shattered in a split second of sheer horror. Now the real test began, forcing them to fight for their very lives.