BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!

Subject: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 07:54 AM

REPORT: "The 17-member crew of the tall ship HMS Bounty has abandoned the vessel in the Atlantic Ocean 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, North Carolina."

The ship has been monitored by Coast Guard planes. It's uncertain at this time what the rest of this story is. What in hell were they doing in the vicinity of this well forecast hurricane?

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 07:56 AM

The Bounty was about 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, North Carolina, or roughly 160 miles from the center of Sandy, a Category 1 hurricane bearing down on the U.S. East Coast, the Coast Guard said.

The three-masted, 180-foot (55-metre) vessel was believed to be taking on water and was without propulsion, stuck in 40 mile-per-hour winds and 18-foot (5.5-metre) seas, the Coast Guard said.

An HC-130 Hercules aircraft had been in contact with the crew while flying overhead, and the Coast Guard was determining which rescue vessel or aircraft was best placed to respond, Petty Officer David Weydert said.

"The crew is safe and accounted for. They have abandoned ship," said a posting on the ship's Facebook page. "They are in their sea survival suits and in a life boat."

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 08:08 AM

Coast Guard helicopters are reported on the scene and rescue lift operations are reported on the way, with 18 foot seas and 40 knot winds.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 08:13 AM

Evidently all 17 crew members have been rescued: click here for update!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: maeve
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 08:23 AM

Thanks, Charley. I've had them on my mind.

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 08:28 AM

Ships sink. It's part of the game. Other ones are built to replace them.
=(:-( D)

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 08:31 AM

Thanks for your concern and insight, Henry...

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 08:37 AM

Is it the same boat Clark Gable made a movie with? Or the one Marlon Brado used?
=(:-( ))

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 08:51 AM

Evidently she's not abandoned -- three people (presumably including the captain) were left on board.

Not all

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 08:53 AM

Why exactly is it sinking, Charlie??? Sail boats have enough weight in the keel to keep them afloat... Ya' just baton down hatches and the water sloshes off the deck... Kinda hard to sink unless it hits something and damages the hull...

BTW, riding the storms out can be no fun but if ya' brace yerself well you survive even the biggest of storms in a sailboat...

B~ (ridden out a few storms myself...)

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 08:54 AM

I've "sailed" on the Bounty -- under power, actually, not wind. Just out the Piscataqua River and then back to the dock in Portsmouth.

My left contact lens mutinied and I lost it on the Bounty.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 09:00 AM

Sounds like the makings of a good folk song, B-Goddess...

B;~)

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: maeve
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 09:10 AM

"More than a dozen members of a Nova Scotia-built replica vessel have abandoned ship off the coast of North Carolina after getting caught in the high seas brought on by Hurricane Sandy.

Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard told CBC News the crew of HMS Bounty decided to abandon ship after getting caught in 5.5-metre seas off Cape Hatteras on Monday.

The ship sank several hours after the evacuation.

Petty Officer 1st Class Jordan Campbell, with the U.S. Coast Guard, said 16 crew members of the tall ship managed to get on board two life-rafts.

"We have two H-60 helicopters en route to attempt to hoist the 16 people on board the helicopters and bring them back to shore," Campbell told CBC News on Monday morning.

As of 9:15 a.m. AT, a U.S. Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter had hoisted five crew members from the life-rafts.

Campbell said officials were still trying to determine exactly how many crew members were on board. The Coast Guard was originally told 17 people were on the Bounty but only 16 heat signatures were detected." http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/10/29/ns-hms-bounty-hurricane-sandy.html

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 09:10 AM

Eye-eye? Captain?

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 09:17 AM

Is the captains name George Bush? He has a knack for sinking ships, you know.
=(:-( O)

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 09:29 AM

Battening down the hatches is fine, unless you have sprung a timber, or in the case of a vessel with power, stern glands can leak. All sorts of things happen. However the ballast that most ships need to keep them "in" the water rather than on it, and in the case of a ship carrying tall masts and rigging, to help keep it upright while under sail. Will also work wery well to take her to the bottom once the integrity of her hull is compromised.

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 09:36 AM

I understand that, John... Unless there were mistakes made deck side then something caused the hull to take on water... The seals of the screws (propellers) wouldn't be enough to sink it as the bilge pumps can easily handle that leakage... Sounds to me like the seas cracked the hull...

The sailboats I used to crew on were almost indestructible with fiber-glass hulls... But then again they were a lot smaller and less subject to having 50 of so feet of boat coming out of the water and then slamming down... Sometimes smaller is better in a storm... I never felt scared during them... Sick??? Okay... A couple times... lol...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: gnu
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 09:43 AM

How terrible!

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 09:53 AM

PORTSMOUTH AP) -- The Coast Guard has rescued 14 members of the crew forced to abandon the tall ship HMS Bounty caught in Hurricane Sandy off the North Carolina Outer Banks.

The Coast Guard is searching for two other crew members. It corrected the total number of crew to 16 from 17.
Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Brandyn Hill says 14 people were rescued by two Coast Guard helicopters about 6:30 a.m. Monday.

So evidently 2 crew members are missing at this point and the Bounty has been reported as sunk.

There will certainly be discussion of what the captain was doing in that area, given the advance information about the storm. The Bounty was reported coming down from the North (from Nova Scotia) and evidently attempting to shirt the Eastern edge of the hurricane on her way South to Florida.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 10:01 AM

Construction History:

"She was successfully launched in Lunenburg Ns in 1960 before being delivered to the owner. A spacious feeling is manifested with a total beam (width) of 9.21 metres / 30.2 ft. With a 4.21m (13.8ft) draught (maximum depth) she is deep. The material oak/spruce / steel was used in the building of the hull of the sailing yacht. Her superstructure above deck is built with the use of wood. Over the deck of H.M.S. BOUNTY she is 40.5 (132.9 ft) in length.

The Propulsion Type - Engineering Figures On S/Y H.M.S. BOUNTY:
The yacht is engineered with a sole CUMMINS main engine(s) and can find a stately top end speed of around 10 knots. The engine of the H.M.S. BOUNTY creates 550 horse power (or 162 kilowatts). Her total HP is 550 HP and her total Kilowatts are 324. H.M.S. BOUNTY is propelled by twin screw propellers."

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Amos
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 10:08 AM

A case of bad judgement--he was allegedly trying to skirt the storm on his way to Florida. He should have been anchored tight in a bolthole somewhere.

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 10:25 AM

This was the ship from the Marlon Brando film in the early 60s. It was a beauty.

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 10:54 AM

It was nice. I want to watch the movie again. I have it here on DVD.
It may be an insurance scam.
=(:-( 0)

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:00 AM

No one would take a sailing ship into such a storm to perpetrate an insurance scam, Henry, especially the owner. There are few things more terrifying. A case of bad luck and bad judgement, in my opinion.

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:05 AM

Here is where she was bound:

The World Famous Tall Ship
HMS Bounty will visit
The Pier
St. Petersburg, Florida
November 10th – 11th

Not happening!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Ebbie
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:09 AM

Lorcan reported this on Facebook. I understand that the ship was/is a replica of the Bounty.

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:12 AM

Ebbie-

Yes, of course, it is one of the replica Bounties. The original was burned off Pitcairn Island in the 18th century.

This one was built in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, in 1960, and totally rebuilt in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, just a couple of years ago.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:20 AM

Here's more info on her last port of call:

"HMS Bounty which sailed from New London, CT on Thursday, ahead of Hurricane Sandy. The ship was built for the the 1962 movie Mutiny on the Bounty with Marlon Brando. It now looks like the ship under the command of Captain Robin Walbridge has successfully slipped across the path of the storm and is sailing south and west as the hurricane tracks north toward the northeast coast. The captain estimates that the ship and the hurricane will pass each other on opposite courses sometime Sunday night or Monday morning. We can only wish the ship and her crew, a continued safe and successful voyage."

Sad to say the plan did not work out...

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: number 6
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:25 AM

Saw this ship docked in Eastport Maine early in September. An impressive Tall Ship. Hope all will be ok with it and it's crew.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:28 AM

Hasn't it already sunk??
=(:-( o)

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:35 AM

Here's from about a half an hour ago --
10:45 a.m. Monday

Evidently two people are missing.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:40 AM

According to Linn's link above two of the crew members did not make it into the two lifeboats that were launched.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:40 AM

Here's a bit more --

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/as-many-as-three-missing-after-canadian-built-hms-bounty-replica-sinks-in-storm/article4719018/

For some reason, the blue clickifier has failed on it twice.

Here's the article --

As many as three missing after Canadian-built HMS Bounty replica sinks in storm

PAUL KORING and JANE TABER
WASHINGTON — The Globe and Mail

Published Monday, Oct. 29 2012, 10:24 AM EDT
Last updated Monday, Oct. 29 2012, 11:28 AM EDT

As many as three crew members were missing in high seas and raging winds after the Canadian-built replica of HMS Bounty was abandoned and sank Monday morning.

"Fourteen are safe on shore and we've sent another Jayhawk out to the scene," Lieutenant-Commander Jamie Frederick told The Globe and Mail at 10:30 am. He confirmed some members of the Bounty crew were missing. A large Coast Guard Hercules was orbiting overhead but the search for the missing was being conducted in the midst of near-hurricane conditions.

It wasn't clear whether 16 or 17 people were on board HMS Bounty, the 52-year-old replica of an 18th century British warship.

The dramatic rescue – crew members were winched from life-rafts to the hovering, bright orange Jayhawk helicopters – began just after dawn after the crew of the stricken Bounty fought and lost a night-long battle to save the ship that had starred in many movies.

After abandoning the sinking ship at about 4:30 a.m., the crew spent more than two hours tossing in life rafts before the Jayhawks arrived.

"They're in cold-water survival suits in two life rafts and the first Jayhawk is overhead," Lt.-Cmdr Frederick said at 7 a.m. as the rescue began. One helicopter lifted nine of the crew, the other hoisted the reaming five. Although there was no official word on their condition, they were flown to the Coast Guard air station rather than direct to hospital which is a good sign.

The ship, built in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia for the 1962 Mutiny on the Bounty movie was an enlarged replica of the famous British warship seized by mutineers in 1789 in Tahiti.

The 55-metre, 400-tonne replica vessel has appeared in many documentaries and the Pirates of the Caribbean films.

Bounty's crew sent a distress call at 6:30 p.m. Sunday night, reporting the ship had lost power and its pump was unable to keep up with water from high waves that was slowly flooding the ship.

Bounty sank, according to the vessel's Facebook page, at 8:45 a.m. Monday morning. That report has yet to be confirmed.

Two elderly shipbuilders, who had worked on the Bounty when it was being built in Lunenburg in the early 1960s, were shocked Monday morning to hear the news the ship had sank. Both had visited the Bounty this summer, admiring their handiwork from so long ago, when it came into the Lunenburg harbour as part of the Tall Ships festival.

Edgar Silver worked on planking and framing of the famous ship, and said he was proud of the work he had done.

The 88-year-old, who lives in Bridgewater, not far from Lunenburg, hadn't heard the news this morning that the Bounty had sunk.

"Oh, oh," Edward Mosher said Monday morning when hearing the news about the Bounty. "Well, I don't know what to think."

He was concerned about the fate of the crew.

"It was a well-made ship," he said.

U.S. Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopters rescued 14 others from life rafts in a dramatic dawn rescue about 150 kilometres off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:42 AM

Condolences to the families.
=(:-( l)

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: maeve
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:43 AM

That information was also at my link at 9:10 AM:
" Oct 29, 2012 12:20 PM

All the crew members made it onto two covered life-rafts but only 14 people were hoisted onto helicopters, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Brendan Selerno. He said officials have not yet had the chance to debrief the 14 survivors to find out what happened to the two other crew members.

Selerno said the two missing crew members are believed to be in cold water survival suits and life-jackets. He said the air search is being plotted based on wind direction and speed, and will be expanded."

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:44 AM

Hurricane force winds extending 175 miles from the eye of this storm Monday morning. (50 mile increase in radius in past day?)

Storm center moving with a ground speed of 18 mph with unpredictable direction today, somewhat slower yesterday.

Ship top speed 10 kt (11.6 mph?).

If the ship was out very far at all when the storm first was reported to be a hazard where they were, there's no visible way it could get to a safe harbor or run out of the path of the storm as they apparently tried to do. The storm has grown in area faster than it's moved, so the "danger zone" is moving significantly faster than the center, and there probably was just no place they could run to.

Reports so far don't give enough information to plot the charts on the situation, but it's plausible enough to assume they were just in a situation where there was no way out.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 11:52 AM

The U.S. Coast Guard confirms the loss of HMS Bounty this morning.

A search continues for the persons unaccounted for.

This is "history come alive" in the worst way.

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Les from Hull
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 12:11 PM

Sailing ships have a tendency to capsize in very strong winds. The normal remedy is to 'send down' the topgallant and topmasts to reduce the top hamper but this might not be possible on the replica Bounty with the small crew available. With the engine out it would be very difficult to keep end on to the wind and Bounty would have have gone beam on to the sea and consequently gone over. Many sailing ships were lost in this way, as indeed were several of our local trawlers in Arctic waterps when the upperworks became iced over.

The original Bounty was built about half a mile from me here in Hull.

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 01:14 PM

Sad Update:

"Three crew members were washed overboard as they tried to get to two covered life-rafts, said the U.S. Coast Guard. Only one of the three members made it to the life-raft and was among the 14 people hoisted onto helicopters.

Coast Guard officials said the two missing crew members — a man and a woman — are believed to be in cold water survival suits and life-jackets. He said the air search is being plotted based on wind direction and speed, and will be expanded.

Claudia McCann, whose husband Robin Walbridge is the captain of the Bounty, told CBC News her husband is one of the two missing crew members. CBC News has learned the other missing crew member is Claudene Christian."

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 01:24 PM

I hope they make it.
=(:-( l)

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 01:33 PM

Insured by LOYDS   OF   LONDON I 'm sure.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

ooppps...guess they went under a few years ahead of the bounty.

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: gnu
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 02:49 PM

Listened to one of the builders on CBC this AM - 6 od 50 odd are still alive. Interesting.

I pray for the missing.

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 03:21 PM

Here's my friend Stephen Smith's interview two years ago with Captain Walbridge, now missing after the sinking of the Bounty --

Walbridge Interview

He's a really enjoyable person to be around, great sense of humor, dealt well with the public.

He's in a survival suit. I certainly hope he and Claudene are rescued.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 03:25 PM

Here's another valuable link for expert commentary on this type of disaster from "gCaptain.com": click here for update!

There's more of the story with some images.

Thanks, Henry; it gets real...

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: maeve
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 05:30 PM

http://www.pressherald.com/news/Crew-of-tall-ship-off-NC-abandons-ship-.html

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 05:42 PM

Thanks, maeve, for your update link above.

Here's another update on the captain from his wife:

Captain Robin Walbridge, 63, who worked on the Bounty for 17 years, was one of the missing, said his wife, Claudia McCann.

"That was his passion," McCann said. "He's the best captain in the industry. ... There's not too many captains that can sail that kind of ship (a square-rigger)."

The captain was the last to leave the ship, wearing red survival gear, she said.

"That's the image I have in my head. I'm sure he made sure his crew were all tucked in their life boats before he got off the ship," McCann said.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 06:13 PM

Here's an edited video of the helicopter rescue: Click here for video!

The video is embedded in the report.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: maeve
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 06:20 PM

Just saw this:

"The C-130 Hercules aircraft searched for the two missing crewmembers and a third Jayhawk crew assisted in the search and rescue efforts.

Crews found one of those missing crewmembers Monday around 6 p.m. Officials said 42-year-old Claudene Christian was found unresponsive and taken to a hospital in Albemarle..." Claudene Christian found

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 06:38 PM

I hope she hangs in and improves.

Probably too much of a stretch for her to be somehow related to Fletcher Christian.

Subject: RE: BS: Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned in Storm!
From: gnu
Date: 29 Oct 12 - 06:58 PM

Oh my. I hope she's okay.

I know it may be odd for some to hear my grave concern. It would be the almost same for anyone in any dire straights, but... is it just me? living close to salt water, knowing freinds and relatives who "go to sea"... that makes some situations more "personal"?