I've been doing some reading as well...

I've just finished In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, a true account of the sinking of the Essex by a giant sperm whale.

After 90+ days at sea in open boats and with few provisions, five men of twenty original survivors were rescued (with three more rescued on an island a bit later), but not before suffering to the limits of human endurance and resorting to cannibalism for survival.

Honestly, I hope our adventures mirror Mr. Barnesworth's literary choices more than my own.