7/28/2003: 1951 Chevy Truck-Raft
 

http://cellar.org/2003/cubantruckraft.jpg

Now this is ingenuity: 12 Cubans were detained and sent back to Cuba after piloting this thing towards the US last week. They actually attached a propeller to the drive shaft and got about 8 MPH out of it. It's all held afloat by empty 55-gallon drums.

Trouble is, it's too big. It was spotted 40 miles south of Key West, which means they only made it about halfway before being picked up and sent back.

You can't stay in the US at all unless you actually make it to shore. But this level of thinking and effort should be rewarded... I say this is exactly the kind of immigrant we want, and they should have been allowed to stay.

it's disposal
 

Did you happen to see how the Coast Guard disposed of the truck? I saw news footage of them using the machine gun to blow it up! Pretty cool! You could hear all of the crewmen yelling "Whoa!" when it exploded on the water and then sank to the bottom.

Re: it's disposal
 

Say it ain't so! Dang, that was a cool rig.

I'm with you, Griff. It looked like a lot of careful planning went into the effort with life jackets and everything. I think it's a shame to blow up that rig. Hell it's a shame to even stop them. If they can cross 90 miles of open ocean then they're smart enough to be an asset to us, or is that U.S..

Yep.

I'm thinking the life jackets were supplied by the Coast Guard.

You're probably right there. I doubt that you'd use much highly reflective tape if you didn't want to be seen.

Holy crap, that looks exactly like something you'd see on Junkyard Wars.

Re: 7/28/2003: 1951 Chevy Truck-Raft
 

...so that they can become criminals with ingenious ideas.

Maybe, but I saw another picture that was taken from some ways off, that showed them. And three of the men don't have them on.
What about that bright yellow tarp?
That's the first racist statement I've ever heard from you.:(

Thank god they weren't on their way to Australia, we have enough of that happening over here. But I like their idea, couldn't part with the car hey!.:rattat:

Enough criminals?

I'll try to sum this up as simply as possible...and a number of my 4800 posts along with various members of the Cellar will back me up:

--El sicómoro is not a racist.
--I make fun of damned near anything and everything.

I wonder if the truck would have been drivable? Were they just using it to float over on or did they hook up a propellar to the drive shaft.

Too bad they didn't have AAA!:)

They made it drivable--reread the info under the photo.