A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck

Maurice and Maralyn Bailey’s decision to build a yacht and sail around the world was not an isolated act of eccentricity; it was part of a broader British cultural movement. In the 1960s and 1970s, a growing number of middle-class Britons sought escape from what Maurice called the “formula of suburban domestic stress” by embracing amateur, long-distance sailing (22). This trend was popularized by figures like Eric and Susan Hiscock, a couple whose bestselling books on circumnavigation inspired a generation of sailors. The Hiscocks authored both memoirs of their own voyages, such as Around the World in Wanderer III, and how-to manuals like Voyaging Under Sail, which Maurice used extensively to plan the Baileys’ trip. Their detailed manuals transformed blue-water cruising from a pastime for the wealthy into an achievable dream for those with modest means and a willingness to learn.

The Baileys treat Eric Hiscock’s Voyaging Under Sail as a “sacred text,” meticulously following its advice on everything from storm strategy to route planning. The specific model of boat that they build, the Golden Hind 31, further situates them within this movement. Known for its affordability and reliability, the Golden Hind (named after Sir Francis Drake’s ship, which circumnavigated the world) was dubbed the “Morris Minor of the yachting world” (25), making it an icon of accessible, do-it-yourself seamanship. This context illuminates the Baileys’ ethos of radical self-reliance, making their seemingly reckless choice to sail without a radio transmitter a legible, if extreme, expression of a desire to “preserve their freedom from outside interference” that was shared by many amateur adventurers of their era (26).