An unusually intense storm pattern catches some commercial fishermen unaware and puts them in mortal danger.
—Jon Reeves



In October 1991, a confluence of weather conditions combined to form a killer storm in the North Atlantic. Caught in the storm was the sword-fishing boat Andrea Gail. Magnificent foreshadowing and anticipation fill this true-life drama while minute details of the fishing boats, their gear and the weather are juxtaposed with the sea adventure.
—Erwin van Moll



Billy Tyne is a sword-fishing-boat captain out of Gloucester, highly competitive and stung by a string of poor outings. His crew is hardly back in port when he tells them he's going out again, even though it's October and the weather can turn ugly. Five join him: the young Bobby, newly in love; Murph, a devoted father recently divorced; Sully, a guy Murph despises; Bugsy, who's finally met a woman who likes him; and Alfred, a quiet Jamaican. They catch little, so they sail east, with Tyne ignoring storm warnings behind him. Finally, the fish bite, but the ice machine fails. Should they head home through the storm of the century, or wait it out and lose their catch? Fearful, the women wait.
—





SYNOPSIS

In September 1991, the swordfishing boat, Andrea Gail, returns to port in Gloucester, Massachusetts,with a poor catch. Desperate for money,Billy Tyne(The Captain),convinces the crew to join him for one more late season fishing expedition. They head out past their usual fishing grounds,leaving a developing thunderstorm,behind them. Initially unsuccessful,they head to the Flemish Cap,where their luck improves. At the height of their fishing the ice machine breaks; the only way to preserve their catch is to hurry back to shore. After debating whether to sail through the building storm or to wait it out, the crew decide to risk the storm. However, between the Andrea Gail and Gloucester is a confluence of 2 powerful weather fronts and a hurricane, which the crew of Andrea Gail underestimate. After repeated warnings from other ships, the Andrea Gail loses her antenna, forcing a fellow ship to call in a Mayday. An Air National Guard rescue helicopter responds, but after failing to perform a midair refueling, the helicopter crew ditch the aircraft before it crashes, and all but one of the crew members are rescued by a Coast Guard vessel, the Tamaroa.

The Andrea Gail endures various problems; 40-foot/12 meter waves crashing on to the deck, a broken stabilizer ramming the side of the ship, and two men thrown overboard. The crew decide to turn around to avoid further damage by the storm. After doing so, the vessel encounters an enormous rogue wave. After attempting and failing to ride over the wave, the stricken fishing vessel capsizes and sinks. Only Bobby Shatford manages to get out of the boat; however, he has no chance of surviving. He is last seen all alone among the waves. Back at shore a memorial ceremony is carried out while friends and family worry and wait for a ship that never comes home.