Fatal Forecast chronicles a dramatic fight for survival aboard two small fishing boats that were ambushed by a horrific surprise storm just southeast of Cape Cod.

Soon after the Fair Wind and the Sea Fever reached the fishing ground at Georges Bank, they were hit with hurricane-force winds and massive 90-foot waves that battered the boats for hours. The direction of the wind made it impossible to turn back. The Fair Wind soon capsized, drowning all but one of the crewmembers. The Sea Fever was nearly torn apart.

Here is the hour-by-hour account of the struggles faced by the eight crewmembers of the Fair Wind and the Sea Fever, including the incredible ordeal of Ernie Hazard, who endured three days in a lifeboat in open water. The book also details the dramatic rescue attempts made by the Coast Guard, on a day in which it received more mayday calls than any other in New England history.