Mysterious Lifeboat in the Middle of Nowhere

February 20, 2011 12:03 AM

We have previously explored Bouvet Island, an ideal location for your evil-supergenius lair (especially if you're a masochist and enjoy the company of elephant seals). But let us ponder how a lifeboat, devoid of markings, was discovered there in 1964 with no trace of crew beyond a pair of oars, a 44-gallon drum and flattened buoyancy tank.
posted by maxwelton (19 comments total)

ok, the boats mine.
posted by clavdivs at 12:28 AM on February 20, 2011 [6 favorites]

Even though it happened in the Pacific, this is the right time period for Operation Fishbowl (detonation of high altitude atomics). There was also the Soviet K Project... and who knows how much of that we really are aware of. And the article points out that the Soviets were certainly aware of and had passed the island by 1960.

All I'm saying is that at that period in history there was a lot of atomic testing going on. This island sounds like the perfect kind of place to do something you don't want observed (well... before the era of Google Earth and spy satellites that can tell if you have lice or not).
posted by sbutler at 1:03 AM on February 20, 2011

What a fascinating story! - thank you for posting it. I wondered if the boat could have been part of a reconnaissance expedition for what turned out to be the mysterious nuclear test in the region?

Since I missed the original posting on Bouvet island too I was struck by the familiar sounding nature of its location. It turns out that the northern hemisphere equivalent of 54.26S 3.24W would land you near the town of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Thank you, gulf stream! (and no - Google Street View does not yet seem to be aware of Bouvet).
posted by rongorongo at 1:17 AM on February 20, 2011

Yeah, Mike Dash is a fantastic writer. For anyone who's interested, there's more Mefi/Dash/allkindsofhistory action in a post I made here at the end of last year.
posted by Sonny Jim at 1:48 AM on February 20, 2011

I smell the introductory chapter to a new Clive Cussler book....
posted by dersins at 1:51 AM on February 20, 2011

I was walking through some fog drifts the other day and I thought, motherfucker, this is just like Bouvet Island.
posted by IvoShandor at 1:56 AM on February 20, 2011

I remember you by
Thunderclap in the sky
Lightning flash, tempers flare
'Round the horn if you dare
I just spent six months in a leaky boat
Lucky just to keep afloat
posted by bwg at 2:06 AM on February 20, 2011 [2 favorites]

I have to admit I was almost disappointed when, after all that mystery, he came to a reasonably logical conclusion with the Soviets. Much more amusing is the concept of an Italian Count teaming up with a Mad Professor and chartering a secret boat to head for the most isolated island on Earth and conduct experiments.
posted by mannequito at 2:28 AM on February 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

Previously, on LOST...
posted by dougrayrankin at 3:06 AM on February 20, 2011 [3 favorites]

Rarely do I feel the desire to read longer articles on my computer, it feels like work and not leisure, but this really piqued my interest. Fascinating read.
posted by imjustcreative at 3:59 AM on February 20, 2011

I have to admit I was almost disappointed when, after all that mystery, he came to a reasonably logical conclusion with the Soviets. Much more amusing is the concept of an Italian Count teaming up with a Mad Professor and chartering a secret boat to head for the most isolated island on Earth and conduct experiments.

Me too. Though I was slightly disappointed that he thinks that Soviet journal would be impossible to get hold of. I seem to be able to interlibrary loan a copy of the English translation from a college in the next city. I could well be able to spend a while on the bus, walk in and photocopy the thing. (I have my doubts I have reciprocal borrowing privileges, but I might.)
posted by hoyland at 4:52 AM on February 20, 2011

The bit about Dr. Zavotti was kind of sad - sending him a photo of seals to prove he had been there and all that.
posted by Jess the Mess at 5:37 AM on February 20, 2011

Great analysis, a fascinating tale. Not my ideal holiday destination though.
posted by imperium at 6:44 AM on February 20, 2011

it was the sea elephants' boat. that's why they were so mad when the guys were snooping around their stuff.
posted by fuzzypantalones at 8:20 AM on February 20, 2011 [2 favorites]

I think in the Minute Mystery version, the survivors dissolved in the lake.
posted by grajohnt at 9:20 AM on February 20, 2011

From the photograph, it seems like it may be possible to trace the design characteristics of the whaler. Although a common type of craft, it is probable -- especially in ~1960 -- that there were many different builders using traditional methods that would have distinctiveness enough for a general, oh, country-of-origin test. I believe the original photo to have much higher resolution than the reproduction judging by what appears to be handwritten notes in the lower right.
posted by dhartung at 11:28 AM on February 20, 2011

My first thought was, wouldn't this be a great location for "Aliens vs Predator". Imagine my surprise.
posted by SPrintF at 2:34 PM on February 20, 2011

For more than a year, ominous rumors have been privately circulating among high level western leaders that the Soviet Union had been at work on what was darkly hinted to be the ultimate weapon, a doomsday device. Intelligence sources traced the site of the top secret Russian project to the perpetually fog shrouded wasteland below the arctic peaks of the Zokov islands Bouvet Island. What they were building, or why it should be located in a such a remote and desolate place, no one could say.
posted by indubitable at 3:06 PM on February 20, 2011

Okay, so this guy's blog? Rocks. Will definitely be reading more. Thanks for the post!
posted by the_royal_we at 12:06 AM on February 21, 2011