American sailors yesterday.

Looking haggard and drawn, they told how they were plagued by an amazing string of bad luck.

And despite a heroic struggle, misfortune finally left them at the mercy of raging seas off Bermuda.

Unable to sail, and with no engine, their stricken 85-foot boat, Restless Spirit , began taking on water.

The fight was up. And the sailors sent out a distress signal.

The pilot boat St. David towed them to the safety of Ordnance Island in St.

George's.

Yesterday the five men and two women -- all from Baltimore -- recapped the ordeal.

But they could throw no light on an intriguing mystery -- why so many disasters befell them at once.

"It was as if the Bermuda Triangle really did exist,'' exclaimed 53-year-old Ms JoAnne Ivory.

The group set out from Baltimore on Sunday, planning to reach Fort Lauderdale, via Bermuda.

It was an uneventful start as the boat sailed down Chesapeake Bay and across the Gulf Stream.

"We started a watch system and slept in turns. Obviously we couldn't anchor down in the ocean,'' said Ms Ivory.

On Tuesday, about 200 miles northwest of Bermuda ill fate struck. One of the radios went. More misfortune followed. Batteries died, knocking out all electrical gear. "We couldn't use the autopilot which steers the boat by itself,'' said Dr. Todd Beckerman, 55. "This meant we had to steer manually, making us all much more tired.'' The bad luck continued.

Said Dr. Beckerman: "The winches that control the sails also went. All these things happened in a very short space of time. It was quite incredible.

"I've never known anything like this. Luckily we are all very experienced sailors.'' To make matters worse, water began seeping into the bilge.

"We had several pumps on board, but these failed and we couldn't get rid of the water,'' said Ms Ivory. "We didn't know why we were taking on water, and we still don't know.'' One theory is the ship's bow dipped into the water as it was lashed by gale-force winds.

By Wednesday, the vessel was virtually defenceless against the storm-whipped seas.

A distress call went out to Harbour Radio, who alerted the pilot boat.

"Although all these things had happened I was never scared. I never felt this was it,'' said Dr. Beckerman, who hadn't slept for 24 hours.

Mrs. Sylvia Passen, who owns the boat with her husband, said: "I suppose the most frightening thing for me was the howling of the wind.

"It was non-stop for three or four days.'' WE SURVIVED! -- Linking arms after their ill-fated trip on Restless Spirit are, from left, Mr. Don Gansauer, Mrs. Sylvia Passen, Dr. Selvin Passen, Ms JoAnne Ivory, and Dr. Todd Beckerman. At the back is Capt. Tom Waite.