Manry at Sea: In the Wake of a Dream

An amazing adventure inside an astonishing adventure inside an inspiring adventure inside... And a love story, too! Brilliant.

I'm not exactly objective, because Robert Manry's voyage and his book Tinkerbelle was an early inspiration of my life, but I was delighted by Steve Wystrach's documentary. Manry demonstrated that a normal person determined and well prepared could have an extraordinary and unique adventure, that one needn't be a specialist, endowed with superhuman powers, or rich. The film goes well beyond his book, however, and between fantastic archival footage, great editing, and storytelling, Manry at Sea weaves together Robert's personal quest and his family's journey ashore with a revealing tale about the media. Starting off completely unsung, by the time the unknowing Manry is half-way to Europe, a media war breaks out, foreshadowing the modern era in so many ways and reshaping his life forever. A truly fascinating and heartfelt tale.

The film makers skillfully captured the feel of the time, comparing Manry's unlikely vault to fame to the Beatlemania that was in full swing in 1965. An estimated 50,000 people were waiting on the docks in Falmouth, England for his arrival. Manry certainly fulfilled his promise to his wife that their marriage would never be "boring!"

With a beautiful score and masterful editing this documentary plays like a feature film. Through the use of archival footage, first-person photography and film, and personal interviews the film keeps us cheering Manry on throughout the voyage. The many humorous encounters with other ships and the friendly competition between the newspapers both vying for the story were brilliant ways to engage the audience.

The "Tinkerbelle", Manry's 13.5 ft sailboat, is on display in the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland. Actually seeing and standing in this tiny craft as I did makes one appreciate even more the remote chance of success of Manry's solo voyage across the Atlantic.

Highly recommended, not only for those who love the sea and sailing, but for anyone wanting to see a story of daring, determination, bravery, and commitment. A wonderful story of a simpler time. Worth seeing, and I've seen it twice!

It is a common habit among viewers to think that there is an evolution among stories of great courage, sport and adventure, that somehow they must get progressively more challenging or the characters more endearing. But that is not the case in this fascinating documentary of a seemingly simple quiet man who inwardly dreamed of one of the most difficult quests: to cross the Atlantic in a tiny sailboat in 1965. But succeed he did, against all odds and the director beautifully integrates archival footage, music and interviews to keep this momentous story alive.

Manry at Sea was an unexpected treat when I first saw it at the AmDocs film festival. It is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit against tall odds. The film maker seamlessly intertwines archival footage of the time with that shot by Robert Manry himself on his improbable voyage. In short, the film is a joy.