Jeanie Bottle 181
Dec30
on December 30, 2012
at 12:00 am
and modified on October 26, 2022. at 4:46 am
Chapter: Story 04: I Dream of my Old Bottle
Characters: Jeanie
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I can see that ship sinking xD
Boat’s gonna sink like a brick.
The ship is only going to sink if there’s too much of the now-golden fish. However, do take note that the ship sits lower in the water in the last panel than in the previous panel. The weight would only be sinking the ship if it were a set-up for an “I wish we weren’t sinking” third wish.
I don’t mean to offend, but it seems quite likely that the weight is going to sink the ship, since it was designed to carry a full cargo hold of fish, not of heavier fish-shaped gold. Moreover, since the joke is “badly granted wish sinks ship, costs livelihood”, rather ironically since the wish was for money, it’s not likely that the ship will be saved. And since Jean isn’t the sort to care about inconveniencing others (Melvin’s friend, anyone?) she isn’t likely to undo the damage.
They could just do a “don’t sink the ship” wish, but that would be uncreative and boring, in my opinion. Or, even better, it could backfire to leave everyone out of luck, but still safe.
Either way, they should start breaking out the life rafts post-haste.
It’s a matter of displacement; all boats float because they are lighter, even with full cargo holds, than the volume of water displaced by their hulls. If the ship were going to sink due to the fish on-board all suddenly being roughly twenty times heavier due to changing into gold, it would have sunk the instant that weight was greater than the weight of water it displaces. But water is actually pretty heavy by itself–more than eight pounds to the gallon. And most of what fills a ship–even one with holds full of golden fish–is air. This is why a steel battleship can float; it may weigh hundreds of thousands of tons, but the water it displaces weighs millions of tons.
It holds it up until it starts taking on water…then it’s just a matter of time before it fills up with water and sinks beneath the waves.
All boats have weight limits. They can only carry so much before they dip low enough that they no longer keep the water out.
Nine years later: Note that they just STARTED fishing, apparently. They were not full yet. That saved them.
O.o that’s surprisingly dark.
oops i thought it said fishermen xD
If the fishermen drop most of the catch, they might save the trawler. Since a trawler can at least carry several tons of fish, it can carry the same weight off gold (it’s just a smaller volume). And several tons of gold still make you rich.
Somehow I don’t think they have that much time. 🙂
If they were catching sardines, they might have a chance. Since a four inch long fish shaped block of gold might only weight 30-40 pounds EACH. But if they are catching larger fish (tuna, swordfish), a 4 foot long fish shaped block of gold probably weighs 800-1000 pounds EACH. (Totally back of the napkin, I can be off by a lot. But the concept remains, a large fish-shaped block of gold is too heavy for even two guys to pick up quickly and throw it overboard. And I didn’t even bring up the problems of separating the fish since once solidified, their fins no longer easily glide off on another.)
That was a “Wishmaster” kind of wish granting!
Now, what would be the third wish? To poof them away from the ship (with the golden fish) to Tahiti?
Ahhhhh an old horror series that . . . and some seriously dark wish twisting in it.
Just the fish on the boat, right?
“Magic Fishbone”, anyone?
Remember, gold is dense, denser than lead, that boat just got immensely heavier.
I think he’ll wish to have a very large family making the population bomb 10 times worse then it already is.
Density of fish, about 1. Density of Gold about 19.3. Their fish just got about 19 times heavier.
This is a world with magic, physics need not apply. 🙂
I think this was the last of the daily comics for the holiday week. Let me just say to CD Rudd …. THANK YOU! Awesomeness every day and I enjoyed it a lot.
Yes, thank you. Love this comic.
I don’t think Jeanie’s going to want the boat to sink with the guy holding her bottle on board.
I’m reminded of one of the Disney movies with the Witch Mountain kids.
(No, not the one with The Rock, the Barney Miller guy.)
Anywho, the kid levitates stolen gold bars into the bad guys’ station wagon.
(Sad trombone sound here)
Notice, Jean was hoping to lead the fisherman into wishing for hair… Now let’s just think of how that sort of wish can be twisted in an evil sort of way. >:)
Shouldn’t the gold fish have landed on his head?
Question though. IS SHE a three wish genie?
Very good. A strip-a-day for a week…strips that materially advanced the plot, too. I commend you.
Better question after her third wish can he give the bottle to his friend fast enough to keep her going to a new master, if so can they then trade off for infinite wishes?
Right up to the point where Jeanie turns one of them into a block of gold.
Turning fish into gold, hmmm…
When she escapes from her predicament perhaps Jeanie will get revenge on Araceli with her Midas touch.
“That’s strange, where did that gold statue of Araceli come from?”
“Well, that’s original” Sounds like Jean has the whole wish schedule thing down pat. And the fact that she turned the fish into gold while out in the middle of the ocean on a small boat is right on track for the whole “give ’em EXACTLY what they ask for!” routine as well. 😀