Is the movie The Finest Hours (2016) based on a true story?

Yes, The Finest Hours (2016) is based on a true story.

What is the true story behind the movie The Finest Hours (2016)?

The Finest Hours is a movie based on the true events that took place in 1952, when an oil tanker named SS Pendleton broke in half in a fierce winter storm off the coast of Cape Cod. The movie tells the story of the rescue mission carried out by the United States Coast Guard, which involved two small lifeboats and four Coast Guardsmen who set out to rescue the crew of the stricken tanker.

The story begins on February 18, 1952, when one of the worst winter storms hit Cape Cod, with 70mph winds and waves over 60 feet high. The SS Pendleton, an oil tanker carrying 41 crew members, was heading towards Boston when it was hit by a massive wave and broke in half. The crew found themselves stranded on the stern section of the ship, which was heavily damaged and drifting towards the rocky coast.

The Coast Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts received a distress call from the Pendleton and soon realized the severity of the situation. Lieutenant Bernie Webber, who was in charge of the station, was ordered to take a small lifeboat and rescue the crew. Despite the treacherous conditions, Webber and three other volunteers set out to sea in a 36-foot wooden lifeboat called CG36500.

The rescue mission was extremely dangerous, as they had to navigate through the stormy sea and avoid the rocky coastline while searching for the Pendleton. When they finally located the stricken tanker, they found that the crew was in a bad state and had to be evacuated one by one. Despite the odds against them, the Coast Guardsmen were successful in rescuing all 32 survivors from the stern section of the SS Pendleton.

The event was later dubbed the greatest small-boat rescue in Coast Guard history and has been praised for its bravery and heroism. The true story of the rescue mission was turned into a book by Michael Tougias and Casey Sherman, on which the movie The Finest Hours was based. The movie stars Chris Pine as Bernie Webber and was released in 2016.