Was the boat named Beavis & Butthead ?

Dave

Actually, it's even funnier when you do the math properly. "6 days at sea", counting the day they left as one, is only about 120 hours. And the distance they would have to have "drifted" is about 3000 nautical miles, not my conservative estimate of 1500 miles.

So their "drift rate" would have been about 25 knots - 8 knots faster than the famed china clipper Cutty Sark's top speed of 17 knots.

That's one HECK of a 12-foot sailboat <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Aardwolfe:

The picture I saw on television of the younger boy did not seem like a very bad sunburn, but the lips were well chapped.

One of the early statements issued by, supposedly a Coast Guardsman was the question of how the kids ended up where they did because it did not seem to conform to known current induced drift patterns for that area.

I still disbelieve it and think it was some sort of hoax for whatever reason.

Bountyhunter

Something is not quite right. Aside from the story not matching the physics of the 6 day trip, there's the fact that six days with no water - complicated by the ingestion of sea water - will leave you nearly dead. They should also have had much more in terms of abrasions and contusions if they were in the situation they faced. I think they got stoned, fell asleep in the sun, and then went for a boat ride.
It's no "miracle" is a sad, sad case of chronic dumbness.

I want everyone to post in the other forum the dumbest thing you did as a teenager that almost got you killed or maimed. During my Coast Guard service I saw LOTS of stupidity. Note I did not differentiate which side of the SAR it sometimes occured on. Case in point. My Lifeboat Station got a call from a very bored Oregon State Trooper about 3 boys who 'borrowed' the family boston whaler. Basically he was passing the buck, or in Tillamook a load of smelly cheese. My CO started laying out a standard search pattern for our two boats. I remembered it was Senior Ditch Day, ran down the street to the liquor store, asked some kids if there were any beach parties after telling them why. Yes. Back to the station and my common sense, father of 4 boys CO sent the station truck up the PCH with a radio and I ran one MLB up the coast until the truck radioed a frantic "see them" . We found them almost crashing into the rocks with a dead engine. PEOPLE! Coast Guard search grids do not utilise dowsing rods, psychics or a thousand other intangibles. It's a statistical crapshoot at best with hard science. I seem to recall a certain Navy Flight 19 thats still overdue. Those people were ' professionals' The kid's burns are very much in line with what I've seen. Sorry, the real world isn't always Spielberg Nazis Dehydrating into skeletons and then exploding dust. Those burns are BAD. They gargled with salt water and did not drink it. O.K. they did a very dumb, teenage thing. Refer to my opening sentence. Also please research why it's called Cape Fear. Theres really big big ships that went down there without a trace. I'm just glad they're alive and not photos for later generations to ask questions about from pained looking adults. I've recovered the dead ones. I'll take them alive any day, dumber than dumb or not. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Brian, if the fishing boat towed it in, I think there might be a Sunfish for sale right about now. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sue

Wow, the keyboard commandos are out in force! <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Sure they were dumb, but exhibited an amazing will to live and survived.

Isn't surviving the ordeal the desired end result?

Okay, you may now resumed repacking your PSK that you carry from suburb to suburb and are afraid to get dirty. <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Duckear:

Actually, I am one of those that disagree with your contention that surviving the ordeal is the desired end result.

Avoiding the ordeal should be the desired end result.

As far as those that do repack their PSK's as they travel from suburb to suburb, they are more likely to have an efficient PSK than those that get theirs dirty on purpose so that they can falsely claim having endured ordeals as an excuse for not keeping their equipment in good shape. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Repeating quietlyto myself, my mantra of: don't feed the trolls Brian... don't feed the trolls... <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

If I'm not mistaken, the record for an Atlantic crossing is 12 ft., but keep in mind, that is on the VERY FAR EDGE of exteme. No, a sunfish isn't made for open water sailing, but neither are sailBOARDs which are used in surf sailing all the time. Coastal sailing (which is what these boys set out to do, I'd bet) is done in small boats quite often. The size of the craft wasn't the problem, their poor knowledge/judgement/decision making was the problem, I just hope SOMEBODY learns something from their experience.

Troy