How did the shipwreck happen?

Answer

State the effects of a furious storm when Crusoe was on his first voyage.

Or, How did the shipwreck happen?

Robinson Crusoe started his first sea voyage without telling his parents. Soon after, his ship faced a terrible storm. The sea became very rough. The storm caused great damage to the ship. Crusoe understood how dangerous sea life could be. It was his first big lesson.

Ship Shakes Hard: During the storm, strong winds hit the ship. Waves rose very high and shook the ship badly. Crusoe says,

 “ the sea ran mountains high, and broke upon us every three or four minutes; ” 

The ship could not stand still. Water came inside, and the men got scared. They tried to save the ship but failed.

Crew Gets Terrified: Everyone on board became very afraid. They cried out to God for help. The captain said, 

“Lord be merciful to us! we shall be all lost!” 

This shows how hopeless they felt. Even the brave sailors thought they would die. Crusoe himself prayed for the first time in his life.

Water Fills the Hold: The storm made holes in the ship’s body. Water came in quickly. A man said that,

“there was four feet water in the hold”

This meant the ship was sinking slowly. The pumps could not throw out the water fast enough. All the men got ready to leave the ship.

Shipwreck Happens: The sailors brought out a small boat. They got into it, hoping to reach land. But the sea was too wild. A big wave hit the boat. It turned over. Everyone was thrown into the water. Crusoe swam to the shore.

In short, the furious storm on Crusoe’s first voyage gave him a big shock. The ship was broken. The men were afraid and helpless. Crusoe was lucky to live. It was the beginning of many hard times in his life.