20 replies to this topic

[Baum's aweigh]

Back in the 60's, while I was in a local college in St. Petersburg , FL I was a crewman aboard the HMS Bounty. This was the tall ship constructed by MGM for the remake of the 1939 classic "Mutiny on the Bounty" . She was built in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and sailed to Tahiti in 1960 for the filming. That movie starred Trevor Howard as Captain Bligh and Marlon Brando as Fletcher Christian. Since then the ship has changed hands many times and has been used in many movies, most recently in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean.

I am deeply saddened on the news report this morning, in 40 knot winds and 18 foot seas, she foundered and went down. Fourteen of the sixteen crewman have been rescued with 2 still missing.

Please pray for all those aboard and especially for those who are still missing.

Thanks,

Al

[The Great Escape II]

This was a tragic accident that DID NOT have to happen. What where they thinking!!

[Wingnut]

+1 on the avoidable. I feel so sorry for the first responders that had to go out in this mess.

W

[Richard W]

Really bad news. The search is still going on ... the ship's captain is one of the missing. There is hope as it seems that the ship was abandoned orderly and all were wearing cold water survival suits and life-jackets.

Some more info: http://www.cbc.ca/ne...ogleeditorspick

Re ... avoidable ... everything is avoidable with the benefit of a rear view mirror foresight.

[The Great Escape II]

This was very avoidable, they took the risk. This storm track has been very accurate and they could have found a safe harbors before it came to this.

[alka2710]

Al that must have been some adventure aboard that ship. Prayers for the missing.
Al

[Baum's aweigh]

You know it's funny but people who don't boat, don't understand the connection between the boat and its owners/crew. During the four years I was on that ship, I did everything from replacing yardarms to rigging new cable and dead-eyes, bright-work maintenance and even Diesel engine maintenance. As a crewman, you take pride and ownership of your work, knowing that the lives of your fellow crew and guests often rely on the quality of work that your perform.

There wasn't a part of that ship that I didn't know and hadn't touched. It becomes part of you and you never forget those experiences. It is sad to see what happened and even sadder that the two lives are in question, one of them the skipper whom I know personally.

What disturbs me the most is that I knew the condition of that 50 year old ship. She was in no shape to be out in that kind of weather and I really wonder why she was directed to go through that mess when it could easily have been avoided. Amazingly, the ship was in Connecticut en route to St. Pete, FL.

The was PLENTY of warning about this weather and there was ample time to duck into port like up in New York and weather it out. Some have conjectured already that the decision was made to ride it out at sea rather than risk being damaged in port. Bad decision. I have been on her through two hurricanes while we held her at bay in Tampa Bay. I can assure you that it was not a picnic but we all survived with ship intact.

The original skipper who lives in St. Pete is truly sick over this event as well as you one could imagine.

I probably should not have used this forum for this type of posting as it certainly doesn't relate to Chaparral owners, however, all of us boaters care about our safety and that of our guests no matter what size boat you have and whatever body of water you frequent. Certainly this is a wake-up call for anyone who wants to challenge their seamanship skills against the havoc that Mother Nature can bring.

Sorry for the rant.

Al

[jmiska]

Al, no need to apologize for using this forum, and thank you for sharing your own expierences on the ship. I had seen the news reports before seeing your post, and had known that the ship had a long connection with the Tampa Bay area. I think that anyone who loves and spends time on the water is affected in some way by a story like this, but it must be so much more for anyone who knows the boat and her crew. Sorry for this bad day.

[WV Relax]

Al, thanks for sharing your experiences and personalizing this tragedy for all of us.
Sometimes we are hardened by the constant news, and need brought back to reality.
Loved ones are missing and a great boat was distroyed.

We pray for the lost, and their familys and friends, including you.
If you need to vocalize, this is a great place to do it.

[The Great Escape II]

Here is the video of the US Coast Guard doing a great job saving the survivors.

http://www.dvidshub....ty#.UI8Py7TEMfl

[alka2710]

I am pretty sure they were on a schedule to be at an event and that equaled disaster.
Al

[cj-orca]

I still don't understand WHY they were out there... ???

[Whalersailor]

Last I heard, they recovered the body of one of the two yesterday, the Captain is still unaccounted for. It's a shame to see such a magnificent sailing ship go down, but I have to agree with others and ask why were they out there in the first place?

[cj-orca]

so sad....

[jmiska]

It's one thing to read the stories of the ship sinking, but to actually see those pictures of the ocean swallowing that beautiful big boat is both horrifying and sobering at the same time. It reminds all of us to not take the ocean lightly. Ever.

[TXTWIN]

I heard a crew interview this am, and they thought they could go around it according to what the guy said. At 1000 miles wide, not sure any modern ship moves that fast, let alone a 50 year old sail boat. Very avoidable it seems....

[Baum's aweigh]

Guys,

Thanks for your support and comments. Amongst us former crew, there is already talk of a syndicate forming an effort to salvage her. Very expensive proposition but apparently she won't go down. Too much wood. Ever since they rebuilt the hull a few years back, she has been floating higher in the water as a result of reduced ballast and new lighter engines. That may be the reason since in her original form she would have gone down like a rock!.

Time will tell over the next few days. I have been told that first she lost her rudder, then one of the two engines so there was no way to control her direction and thus was overpowered by rough seas. News reports listed her length at 180' but take away the stern shear and bowsprit, she was only about 110'. A very small boat for that type of ocean.


Al

[Baum's aweigh]

Under calm seas and full sail with a quarterly breeze with the assistance of 1000 hp diesels, the most she could make is 14 knots. In those condition, probably not under sail i doubt she could have made more than 5 knots.

Al

[taperk600]

Such a sad story. Please keep us abreast of any impending salvage effort....be nice to see it

On a side note, did anyone else catch that the woman (Claudene Christian) who's body was recovered was a direct descendant of Fletcher Christian .... who was the lead mutineer on the original Bounty............... that's eerie ......

[Chief Plasma]

I have a bit of family from Hatteras. One of them did a lot of diving on the old shipwrecks there. That island area has taken her share for sure.