Teenagers Survive Six Days Lost at Sea

FOX News/AP ^ | May 1, 2005

[Seeking the truth]

Wow...I had a Sunfish...on a lake....would never think of taking it in the ocean!

Luck but pretty good sailing if you ask me.

[e_engineer]

GIS for sunfish sailboat:

[LibertarianInExile]

All I can think of is that episode of South Park where they're frozen in, and fifteen minutes in, they're deciding who they have to eat...

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

...pretty good sailing if you ask me.

Sounds like incredibly poor seamanship to me. They almost died seven miles from land. Even if they had lost their sail, one would image they could kick or paddle seven miles in a week. The sun and stars or prevailing winds should give them a clue about which way is West. And what were they doing losing sight of land in the first place?

[Always Right]

"Made for TV" riches on the way.

Don't know about that. My wife went through a heck of a lot more escaping from Vietnam. Getting past Communist guards. Getting shot at by Thai fisherman. Other boats trying to sink them by making big waves. Having to bail water out of their boat for six days. No food, little water.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

they're deciding who they have to eat...

It's an old nautical tradition to draw straws.

[RJL]

Even if they had lost their sail, one would image they could kick or paddle seven miles in a week.

From the article:

The boys were about seven miles off Cape Fear — six days and more than 100 miles from where they had put in off Sullivans Island, S.C., on April 24.

[kstewskis]

Those Sunfish maybe 14', but the cockpit is much less.

Kind of like a large ice chest.

Those kids are so lucky, and yet skilled enough to keep their cool throughout the whole thing. Thank goodness they are safe now.

Great young sailors they are!

[eastforker]

They were only 15 and 18, I guess you never did anything stupid as a kid. At least they were not gangbanging or carjacking someone

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Right, they were windblown north. Even though they made 100 miles leeway, they only had to make seven headway to hit land. Any how did they lose sight of land, or the evening glow coming off the coast?

Maybe I shouldn't be so harsh, but lubbers this inept need to stay in the shallow end of the pool.

[Squantos]

ping !

[chariotdriver]

Even without a sail you will still not be able to kick or paddle a boat against any kind of current or against even the mildest wind for too far.

The boat hull itself catches some wind.

Things can happen real fast even to good sailors.

I was a SS Single Hand Sailor on the SFO Bay in the early 90's, competed in the Farralon Island races which were 20 miles off shore

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

you never did anything stupid as a kid.

Yeah, I did, probably more stupid. I was reacting to the "great sailing" remark. BTW, once when I was about seven, I snorkeled about mile out to sea on Cape Cod Bay. I was lucky not to have been hit by a pleasure boat, but CC Bay was a lot less crowded in those days. I certainly scared the bejesus outta myself. I calmly figured that I got myself out there and I could get myself home and I did. Lesson to self: always know how far you are from shore and have a course for home.

[LibertarianInExile]

You don't have to tell me...I read all about it.

[Sam Cree]

Sheesh.

An offoshore breeze, a falling tide, + the strength of teenagers. Glad so much they are OK!

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Regardless, one thing they did not exhibit was great seamanship, or even a modicum of common sense.