Looking for a Juvenile Novel circa 1969-1971

[qdemn7]

I remember reading a juvenile in Jr High 1969-1971, and cannot for the life of me remember the author or title.

First of all it's NOT Year of the Cloud.

The plot is an interstellar cloud enters the solar system and encounters the Earth. The result is all moving machinery freezes up. Apparently it causes vacuum welding on all moving metals. The protagonist is a teenage boy (natch), and thing that horrified me at the time was the fact that cannibalism took place on a ocean liner stranded at sea.

Any help here?

[Sabriel]

1. The Black Cloud, by Fred Hoyle?

It's been a while since I read it though. And I think the protagonist's an adult.