On Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:04:10 -0700, Gordon wrote:

Can anybody find an actual cruiser that has been through this garbage
patch?

I can't speak for the Pacific but can tell you from experience that
every remote beach and coast that we've been on the Atlantic side is
littered with plastic waste of all kinds. Polypropylene line and
netting from commercial fishing gear is one of the biggest offenders
because it floats forever until it washes up somewhere. There are
also various plastic containers, jugs and barrels of all sizes shapes
and description. It would take no time at all to build a large raft
from this stuff.