[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?

[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.

[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

[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

[lawdude]

" Sounds like incredibly poor seamanship to me."

Never been on the open seas in a 4-5 kt. current perpendicular to the direction you want to go, huh?