The Film

"When you're alone, just you and the ocean, it's the whole of your universe... It's no longer about heroes and adventures at sea. It's about isolation and the delicate mechanism of the mind." —Ron Winspear, Donald Crowhurst's closest friend

"If he dropped out before the race began, or dropped out early on in the race, he would be forced to buy the boat back. In effect, my father would be bankrupt." (4:05) Watch video

In 1968, The Sunday Times of London announced the first solo, non-stop, around-the-world sailing race. A prize of £5,000 was offered for the fastest voyage. Competitors were required to set sail before October 31 to avoid the fury of a winter at sea.

DEEP WATER follows Donald Crowhurst, a 36-year-old father of four and owner of an ailing marine electronics business, as he attempted to win the fastest voyage prize. With funding from a local businessman, Crowhurst bought a trimaran—the newest and quickest boat available at the time—on the condition that if he lost the race, he’d have to buy the boat back, a purchase that would propel him into bankruptcy. Naming his boat the Teignmouth Electron, Crowhurst set sail on the October 31 deadline, unable to complete the innovative designs he had planned.

After a slow start, Crowhurst began to radio a series of increasingly record-breaking daily distances to his delighted press agent in England, who embellished the mileages before relaying them to the public. Crowhurst’s family was thrilled by his sudden progress. But in reality he was slipping further and further behind his stated position. In his leaking boat, he began a second logbook with a list of elaborately calculated false positions on spare sheets. At that point he was weeks away from where the rest of the world thought he is.

Nine months later, the race was down to two competitors. When Crowhurst was deemed the certain winner, he began to panic, knowing that if he returned to England, his fraudulent journey would be exposed.

DEEP WATER uses Donald Crowhurst’s original 16mm films and tape recordings to re-construct his extraordinary journey. Through re-enactments and interviews with family and friends, the film reveals his maritime inexperience and the eventual ending that shocked a nation.

	Related Links and Resources Deep Water Film site featuring production notes and a photo gallery. Wikipedia.com: Donald Crowhurst A biography of Crowhurst. TimesOnline.co.uk: “My father was so determined” A 2006 interview with Crowhurst’s son. Michael Jones McKean: Teignmouth Electron Recovery Photos of Crowhurst’s recovered boat. Tacita Dean: Disappearance at Sea Art inspired by the Crowhurst journey. The Remarkable Journey of Donald Crowhurst Crowhurst’s position points during the race. The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst By Nick Tomalin and Ron Hall International Marine Publishing, 1995 Adventure and drama at sea.

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