More of this Feature • Part 1: Saved by the Beer, On Shelves, and more • Part 2: A Golden Idea, Fatale Finale, and more
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Elsewhere on the Web • Sea Turtle Survival League

Saved by the Beer
Good thing someone remembered the refreshments.

Four men spent 17 hours clinging to a beer cooler in Lake Ontario after their boat capsized and sank during intense early-morning weather in August. The boaters were rescued by a shoreline resident who heard their cries for help and drove his boat to save them, according to a report in the Syracuse Post-Standard.

"It was nothing short of a miracle," said survivor Todd Wafer of Oswego, New York.

The group said they were five or six miles offshore when six-foot waves capsized and sank their 19-foot fishing boat. As the men struggled to stay afloat in the rough water, their cooler popped up from beneath the waves. They grabbed hold and threw out the three six-packs of beer and ice to lighten the load.

"If the cooler hadn't come up, we would have died," Wafer said.

Joe Stewart, the Scriba, New York, man who heard their faint cries at about 5:20 a.m., said he rushed out in his boat and found the men about three miles offshore.

"Thank goodness they didn't give up hollering," Stewart said.

ON SHELVES: The Complete Guide to Clubs & Flags
Now in its fifth edition and more comprehensive than ever, The Complete Guide to Clubs & Flags is the definitive record of yacht clubs throughout North America. Whether you're a club member, officer, dockmaster, or simply a coastal cruiser looking to learn more about your favorite destinations, the guide describes like an encyclopedia all the customs, courtesies, and flags of every club out there. You can also use the reference book to identify the club a yacht owner belongs to by the flag he or she flies. The guide makes a terrific addition to any stateroom bookshelf.
$24.95 paperback. Stars Signatures.

NOVEMBER
Oct. 27-Nov. 4. The 42nd-Annual International Boat Show in Hamburg, Germany. (49) 40-3569-2140
3-11. The Athens Boat Show in Greece. (30) 1-483-1846
8-11. The Scandinavian Sail & Motorboat Show in Stockholm, Sweden. (46) 8-749-4100
8-11. The Fort Myers Boat Show in Florida. (954) 570-7785
13-15. The Marine Equipment Trade Show in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (31) 20-549-1212
15-17. The Fish Expo and Workboat Northwest Boat Show in Seattle, Washington. (207) 842-5508
15-18. The St. Petersburg Fall Boat Show, (954) 764-7642

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