Maurice and Maralyn Bailey: A British Couple Who Survived for 118 Days on a Rubber Raft in the Pacific Ocean in 1973

Maurice and Maralyn Bailey were a British married couple who survived an extraordinary ordeal at sea in 1973. Their survival story is known as 117 Days Adrift despite the duration actually being longer (118 days) because initial news reports were wrong and it was decided to keep this name for consistency.

The Baileys’ journey began in June 1972 when they left Southampton, England, in their 31-foot (9.4 m) yacht Auralyn. Their intended destination was New Zealand. They passed safely through the Panama Canal in February and were on their way to the Galapagos Islands.

At dawn on March 4, 1973, their yacht was struck by a whale and severely damaged. After transferring some supplies to an inflated life raft and dinghy and salvaging some food, a compass, and other supplies, the Baileys watched as Auralyn disappeared beneath the waves.

To survive, they collected rainwater to drink and, when their meager food supplies ran out, were forced to catch and eat sea creatures like turtles, seabirds, and fish, often using makeshift hooks made from safety pins. They had been vegetarians before their ordeal and found this necessary act deeply difficult.

They faced numerous hardships, including severe storms that repeatedly capsized their dinghy, the constant need to bail water from their deteriorating raft, and saltwater sores that caused immense pain. They also endured the crushing disappointment of seeing seven ships pass by without spotting them, as their flares failed and they lacked a signaling mirror.

Despite the dire circumstances, they supported each other. Maralyn, in particular, maintained a positive outlook and her faith, while Maurice, initially more pessimistic, was encouraged by her. They would try to distract themselves by reading and playing card games, though these activities became increasingly difficult as they weakened.

After drifting some 1,500 miles (2,400 km), the Baileys were rescued by the crew of the South Korean fishing boat Weolmi 306 on June 30, 1973. Sailors on the ship spotted the raft after initially passing it by. The couple was brought aboard in an emaciated state, having lost some 40 pounds (18 kg) apiece and with their legs barely able to support their weight. Weolmi 306 took them to Honolulu, Hawaii.

Upon their return to England, the Baileys became international news. They wrote a book about their experience titled 117 Days Adrift (published as Staying Alive! in the U.S.) in 1974. Following their rescue, they adopted a vegetarian diet, a direct consequence of the difficult choices they had to make to survive. Despite their ordeal, they returned to the sea in a new yacht, Auralyn II.

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