After four months at sea, ghost ship with 11 petrified corpses washes up in Barbados

The Guardian (U.K.) ^ | 05/29/06 | Giles Tremlett

[U S Army EOD]

Thanks for the article. I had much rather sit behind the wheel and turn the auto pilot on.

[Hatteras]

The moonlight shows us for what we really are...

[BluH2o]

If you ever do go off shore, if you are smart, you will carry your life rafts below deck.

I have two trans-Atlantic crossings on a 45' sailboat. The life raft was stored topside where it belongs, firmly attached. In an emergency where your life raft needs to be deployed dragging it topside thru a hatch isn't my idea of good seamanship.

[U S Army EOD]

When you have it firmly attached to the deck it takes just as long to get it loose as it does to bring it up from below. I have read many stories and talked to many people who have lost their rafts on a knock down or roll over.

Perhaps we could compromise and say you should have one below and one above.

I have also wondered if it would be possible to place inflatable bladders below decks that you could inflate to stop the boat from sinking. In heavy weather I think your raft would be safer below deck, in case of a fire or explosion you would want the raft on the deck. If I ever were able to go sailing again with the boat of my choice, I would want a 45' to 50' flush deck boat with a sixteen foot rigid unsinkable lifeboat on the deck with an additional flotation collar for it.