three men in a boat.docx

three men in a boat.docx

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threemeninaboat

ShipwreckSurvivors:

Threemeninaboat

Theyclaimtohavesurvivedfor289daysatsea,but,fourmonthson,theawe-inspiringtaleoftheMexicanfishermenlookslesslikeamiracleandmorelikeanelaboratehoax.MikeGuyreports

Sunday,7January2007

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It'sstillnight-time,butdawnwillbecomingsoon.OneofthemostfamousmeninMexicoislyingawakeinhisboarding-housebed,listeningtothunderpoundthechurchonthetownsquare.Hehasn'tsleptindays."WhenIclosemyeyes,"heconfesses,"Iseenothingbutthesun."

LastOctober,Salvador"Chava"OrdoñezandfourotherfishermenembarkedfromSanBlas,avillageonthewestcoastofMexico,forwhatwassupposedtobeathree-dayshark-fishingexpedition.Onthefirstnighttheyranoutofpetrol（ortheenginebrokedown,orboth,dependingonwhichversionyouread）andtheirsmallboatwassweptawaybythesamestrongwindsandcurrentsthatcarriedPortuguesespicetraderstoMicronesiainthe17thcentury.

Nineandahalfmonthslater,the27-ftcraftwasspottedbythecrewofatuna-fishingboatinthewatersoffBakerIsland,atinyatollsome5,500mileswestofSanBlas.Twoofthemenhaddiedofstarvation,but37-year-oldChavaOrdoñezsurvived,alongwithJesusVidañaandLucioRendon,both27.InEnglish,theirnamestranslatetotheSaviour,Jesus,andtheLight.

LosPerdidos,asthey'reknowninMexico,claimedtheysurvivedbydrinkingrainwaterfromthefilthybilgeandeatingseagulls,rawfish,andseaturtles.TheyreadaloudfromChava'statteredBible,whileLucio,amusician,playedair-guitarconcertostostaveoffboredom,astoxiconasmallboatastheseawateraroundit.

Thethreepescadores（fishermen）hadapparentlyenduredthemostremarkableodysseyofsurvivaleverrecorded:

289daysatsea,utterlyexposedtotheblazingsun,withnothingbuttwouselessoutboardenginesandtheirowninnertoughness.ItwasthekindofaccidentalepicjourneythatbroughttheVikingstoNorthAmerica,theMaoristoNewZealand,NoahtoMountArarat.

Asnewsoftheirrescueflashedaroundtheworld,thefishermen'sjourneytookonnear-biblicalsignificance.TheCatholicChurch'sLeagueofBishopsdeclaredtheirsurvivalaprofoundmiracle,an"exampleofthepoweroffaith".Beforelong,amysteriousChristianfilmproducerfromtheUShadsignedChavaandhistwofellowsurvivorstoareported$4m（£2m）moviedeal.ButwhenphotographssurfacedshowingChavaandhiscompanionslookingrestedandwell-fedaftertheirordeal,themediaturnedsceptical.Hadtheyeatentheircompanions?

Weretheydrug-runnersgoneastray?

TheaccusationscametoaheadatanunrulynewsconferenceinMexicoCity.

Butthebishopshadapoint:

thetaleofLosPerdidosissufficientlyfantasticthatitrequiresacertaindegreeoffaithtobelieveitatall.

SanBlasisasmall,mud-spatteredfishingvillageonMexico'sPacificcoast,about60milesnorthofPuertoVallarta.Manyofthe9,000residentsareshrimp,sharkanddoradofishermen,whileothersoperateeco-toursforbird-watchers.SanBlasisbestknownforitsjejenes,ravenousgnatsthatrisefromthesandatdusktofeastonhumanflesh.

ThreeblocksdownCalleBatallonfromthetownsquare,ChavaisdrinkingPacificobeerinthecourtyardofHotelRanchero,theshabby,mustyboardinghousewherehelives.PeoplestopbytheRancheroeverydayinsearchofChava,or"ElPerdido"-cityfunctionaries,union（omega）representatives,oldfriends,old"friends",bookpublishers,parishioners,journalists,incredulousfishermen,andeagerwomen.JesusandLuciohavealreadylefttown;hehasn'theardmuchfromthem.

Chavaisafavouriteinthelocalbars.SoonafterhearrivedinSanBlasfortheshrimpseason15yearsago,heearnedthenickname"Ballena",afterhispreferredbeer.Onthisrainynight,Chava'sfriendMay,whoownstheRanchero,andhisoldbuddyCarlos,fromtheoff-licence,havestoppedin（withabottle）tohearChavatalkabouthisordeal."Ballenausedtofalldownalot,"Carlossays,smiling."Itseemedlikeeverynight,eh,Chavita?

"

Shortandstocky,withdarkskinandakindlyface,Chavasmilesandnods.AfootballmatchplayssilentlyontheTV;Chava'seyesfixonitasherecountshislongvoyage."WeleftfromBocadeCamichinatdawnwithhooksreadytocatchthetuna,"hebegins.BocadeCamichinisSanBlas'ssistervillage,about12milesaway."Thenweusedthetunaandskipjacktofishforshark,becausethedarkmeatgivesoffalotofblood."

Commercialsharkfishingisabrutal,controversialindustry.Fishermenslicethefinsfromthesharksandtossthebodies,sometimesstillalive,overboard.Asianbuyerspayaround£25apoundforthefins,whichareusedtomakeshark-finsoup,whichcostsupwardof£50abowl.

Chavaandhiscompanionswerenotrichmen.LucioRendonlivedwithhisgrandmother,aunt,anduncleinanearbypueblocalledLaLimon;Jesus"Juanchito"VidañagrewupinafishingvillageinSinaloa,tothenorth.Bothmenaretallandslightlypaunchy,withthinmoustachesandlong,curly,mullethaircuts.Theowneroftheboat,knownaroundthedocksasSeñorJuan,livedinMazatlan,sixhoursnorth.Thefifthmanwasolderanddidn'ttalkmuch.Hisboatmatescalledhim"ElFarsero".

Beforeheadingout,theystoppedinSanBlasharbourtopickupsupplies."Westarteddownwheretheshrimpboatsare,"Chavasays."Wehadsandwicheswrappedinpaperforlater,andtherewerealsoplantanos[bananas].Andofcoursetherewerejugsofwater,buttheywereemptyverysoon."

NoonetooknoteofSeñorJuan'slaunchleavingSanBlason28October,2005.Thusthefishermenwereneverofficiallydeclaredmissing,andthegovernmentneversearchedforthem.

SeñorJuan'sboatwasa27-ftfibre-glasssledwithanopencockpitandplentyofworkspace,butnoVHFradio,radar,fish-finder,GPS,oranyotherelectronics.Noneofthefishermenhadamobilephone.Norwasthereacanopytoprovideshelterfromthesun,andChavaregrettedthathehadn'tbroughtabaseballcap.Thistypeofboat,calledabugyorlanchabythelocals,iscommononthecoast,anddozensaretiedalongthedocksandrock-linedshoreofSanBlas'ssmallharbour.Althoughmostlanchaenginesareheldtogetherwithducttapeandbalingwire,SeñorJuan'sboatsportedtwo250-horsepoweroutboardmotors,eachofwhichcostupwardof£8,000new.

SeñorJuansteeredfortheIslasMarias,asmallarchipelago60milesoffthecoastthatishometoamassiveprisoncomplex,theAlcatrazofMexico."Itwasverysunny,"Chavasays."Therewerewaves,buttheyweren'tverybig.Itisfourhourstotheislands.Wesetourlinesinthewaterforthetunaandatesandwichesforlunch.Therewerealsobeansontheboat."

AccordingtoChava,SeñorJuanpulledintotheharbourofthelargestislandandtoppedoffthefueltanks.Thentheyheadedbackouttosea.Theysettheirlonglinetackleonthefirstmorning.Inlonglinefishing,80to100baitedhooksarespacedthree-tosix-feetapartonalongropethatspanstwobuoys.Thegearislefttodriftforaslongasadaybeforeitishauledin,onehookatatime.

Aftertheysettheequipment,theskydarkenedandastormrolledin.Thewindpickedupstrengthandthewavesbegantogatherandcrest.Nightfell,andthefishermenlostsightoftheirequipment.SeñorJuanpanicked.Thatequipmentisexpensive.Sohestartedafranticsearchforthegear,histwinoutboardsburningpreciousfuel.

Itwasalongandfrighteningnight,andChava,themostexperiencedofthefive,triedtoconvinceSeñorJuantogiveupthesearchandheadbacktotheIslasMariastorefuel.ButJuan'sconcernforhislostgearcloudedhisjudgement.Hezigzaggedaroundinthedarkforhoursbeforetheenginessputteredandranoutofgas.Intheensuingsilencethefiveofthemrealisedtheyhadmuchbiggerproblemsthanmissingfishinggear."Atthatpointwegotreallyserious,"Chavasaysquietly."Westarteddriftingouttosea."

Afterthestormpassed,thesunreturned,andthirstoverwhelmedthemalmostimmediately.Theywereatthemercyofthewindandthecurrents,welloutofsightofland,withoutacloudinthesky.

"AfterfourdaysIgotaplasticcontainerandthenIrelievedmyself,"Chavasays.Itwasanemptyfueltankthathewashedoutwithseawater."IsaidIwasgoingtodrinkmyownurine,buttherestofthemrefused.IsaidIwantedtolive."

Morethanninemonthslater,on9August,2006,theKoo's102,a240ftpurse-seinefishingboat,wasplyingthewatersoffBakerandHowlandIslands,inthesamelonely,atoll-speckedregionwheretheAmericanaviatorAmeliaEarhartissaidtohavedisappearedinthe1930s.Ataroundthreeintheafternoonamateonthebridgenoticedthedriftinglancha,whichhadn'tappearedontheradar.

"Iwasawakewhentheboatrescuedus,"Chavasays.Thethreeusuallytriedtosleepduringthesun-scorcheddaysandfishedforfoodatnight.Therewasasmallenclosureinthebow,andtheytookturnssleepinginitsmeagreshade.Jesushadacompass,andhehadbeenassuri