At least in Beyond the Reef the ship finally sank. In Midshipman and Sloop of War Richard dares a reef or sand banks to escape the enemy (or get back to the action) and survives, each time with "next to nothing" over the hazard. He did that twice in Sloop of War...
But like you, I'd had my fill of open boat journeys after Passage to Mutiny.
What'll ya bet one shows up in the next Adam book?

I wouldn't be surprised.

Maybe we'll be fortunate, though, and Adam will die in the open boat...

Well, this is really old, but I found the thread while browsing... Yes, the bear thing which Susan started the thread with struck me as a bit ridiculous. Surely there would have been some other method of disguise...?
Beyond "scratching your head"... I watched "Cutthroat Island" on tv the other night. Ohboy... Well, it was late & I wanted something to watch while doing my yoga. Aside from there being, as far as I could tell, no attempt at historical accuracy... The scene that finally made me go "Oh, come ON", was at the end, where the villain gets a cannon fired at him at very short range; the ball hits him in the stomach, blows him backward, through a bulkhead or three, & straight out through the stern. There he goes, flying out into the water still pushed along by the cannon ball....
Shees.
Anyone else got any more silly scenes to contribute?

Speaking of bear skins:

Skins (caricature)