The Belly of the Sea

June 1816. A frigate runs aground on a sandbar off the coast of Senegal. As the attempts to free the hull prove futile, there is no choice but to abandon the ship. As the available boats are not enough to accommodate all the crew, they build a raft about 12 meters long and 6 wide. 147 men hurdle to board: soldiers, sailors, a few passengers and a few officers. The plan sounds simple and feasible, but is it really so?