> I think I remember a TV show about using
bottles with paper in them to find out about
ocean currents. When someone on a ship
spotted a bottle, they would pull it up and mark
down the date and coordinates on the paper
inside, then toss it back in. Eventually it would
wash up somewhere and someone could plot
out the current it followed.

Just a problem with that theory...

It's extremely hard to spot a human in a life
jacket if there's the slightest hint of a wave.
And a human head is much, much bigger than
a bottle. Plus, in man overboard situations,
you have someone point at the person in the
water, so you can find them again...

Heck, just two weeks ago, I was sailing and
we lost a BRIGHT ORANGE rescue line, in a
bright orange bag (About a feet long by five
inches in diameter) in, what, two feet wave?
We lost it in three minutes. Another boat
eventually picked it up, after we called them on
the radio to say "Hey, Namastar, there's a
rescue line in your vincity, try to pick it up,
please."

So... Spotting a BOTTLE, in mid-ocean,
without looking out for it? Not really realistic.
Plus the actual picking up of the bottle, wich
would involve altering course, coming back,
altering again, etc, if the bottle doesn't just
smash on the hull. And it would have been a
ton more trouble on an old sailing ship.

'tienne