Maurice and Maralyn Bailey: the British couple who survived 118 days on an inflatable raft in the Pacific Ocean in 1973 (14 photos)

Maurice and Maralyn Bailey were a British couple who survived an incredible ordeal at sea. Their story is known as the 117 Days Adrift, although in reality the drift lasted 118 days, but the first news reports were wrong and it was decided not to change the name.





The Baileys' journey began in June 1972, when they set out from Southampton, England, on their 31-foot (9.4 m) yacht, the Auralyn. Their destination was New Zealand. In February [1973], they safely passed through the Panama Canal and were en route to the Galapagos Islands.

At dawn on March 4, 1973, the yacht was rammed by a whale, causing irreparable damage. After transferring some of their supplies to an inflatable life raft and a rubber boat, and managing to salvage some of their food, compass, and other belongings, the Baileys watched as their Auralin disappeared beneath the waves.

They collected rainwater to survive, and when their meager food supply ran low, they were forced to use homemade hooks made from safety pins to catch and eat sea creatures like turtles, seabirds, and fish. Having been vegetarians, the transition to animal food necessary for survival was very difficult for them.

The Baileys faced many hardships, such as violent storms that repeatedly capsized their boat, the constant need to bail water out of their leaky raft, and excruciating pain from salt water ulcers. They also had to endure the bitter disappointment of seven ships passing by without noticing them, as their flares were inoperative and they had no mirrors to transmit light signals.

Despite the dire circumstances, they supported each other. Maralyn, for example, was optimistic and encouraged Maurice, who was initially less optimistic. They tried to distract themselves by reading books and playing cards, although this became increasingly difficult as they grew weaker.

After drifting for about 1,500 miles (2,400 km), the Baileys were rescued by the crew of the South Korean fishing vessel Weolmi 306 on June 30, 1973. The crew spotted the raft after the vessel had initially passed by. The exhausted pair were lifted aboard, each of the Baileys 40 pounds (18 kg) lighter and unable to stand on their own two feet. The ship took them to Honolulu, Hawaii.

Back in England, the Baileys became celebrities. They wrote a book about their adventures, titled 117 Days Adrift (published in the US in 1974 as Staying Alive!). After their rescue, the Baileys returned to a vegetarian diet. And despite their ordeal, they set out again on a new yacht, the Auralyn II.

Maralyn Bailey died in 2002 at the age of 61. Maurice Bailey died in December 2018 at 85. But their story remains one of the most remarkable examples of open-ocean survival.







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