Puzzle No. 013
Picarats: 30


SOS! Fifteen people are trapped aboard a ship that's going to sink in exactly 20 minutes. Their only chance for survival is the five-person life raft stowed on their vessel. To make matters worse, the waters around the ship are teeming with man-eating sharks, so swimming to safety is out of the question.

A round-trip to the nearest island and back to the boat takes nine minutes on the raft. How many people will live to see dry land?














Hint One: In 20 minutes, the raft can make two round-trips to the boat. Where is that boat located after two trips to the island and back?

Hint Two: After two round-trips, the raft returns to the ship. At this point, 18 minutes have passed, but since the ship hasn't sunk yet, there's no reason the raft can't pick up a few more passengers.

That's right, the raft has time to pick up three loads of passengers.

Hint Three: You now know that the raft has time to pick up three load of passengers, so you're probably raring to answer.

Just be careful, as there is one more trick to this puzzle that you might not have picked up on. It's sad to say, but not every passenger will make it off that ship alive.

Solution:













Nicely done! A moment of silence for the two who didn't make it. Please......