The HMS Bounty, a replica of one of the most famous ships in the world, will sail into St. Augustine, Fl on April 25, 2012. The ship was built for the 1962 MGM movie, “Mutiny on the Bounty” starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard. The Bounty has also appeared in several other motion pictures over the years, including “Treasure Island,” and two of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies starring Johnny Depp.
(AP PHOTO/Mark Duncan)
The Bounty, which has just begun its 2012 East Coast tour, will come through the St. Augustine Inlet, possibly as early as Wednesday, and tie up at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina, where she will be available to the public for tours Friday, April 27th through Sunday, April 29th.
The ship is widely known for the 1789 mutiny that took place aboard the ship, which had been tasked with obtaining breadfruit in Tahiti and delivering it to the West Indies to feed slaves. The mutiny has been the subject of several books, films, and popular songs during the more than 200 years since. The mutiny was led by master’s mate Fletcher Christian against the now infamous commander, Lt. William Bligh. He is generally referred to as “Captain Bligh,” since he served in that capacity on the ship.
Saturday, April 28, 2012 marks the 223rd anniversary of the mutiny, which took place on April 28, 1789.
The current Bounty, at 180 feet overall, is a bit bigger than the original, Tracie Simonin, director of the HMS Bounty said.
“She was built one third larger to accommodate the cameras and film crew for the movie,” she said. “But she is a faithful replica in every other way, constructed of wood using the original plans for the ship from British Naval records, just up-sized proportionally.” Another difference between the current Bounty and the original is the addition of two 375 horsepower John Deere diesel engines.
The replica was built in Lundenberg, Nova Scotia, and it was the first three-masted sailing vessel to be launched there since the 1880s. According to the Internet Movie Database, 400,000 feet of lumber were used, 10,000 square yards of canvas were sewn by hand and 10 miles of rope were rigged for the reconstructed version of HMS The Bounty. After construction, the ship then sailed the 7,000 miles from Nova Scotia to Tahiti for filming.
The Bounty later appeared at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. It was afterward berthed in St. Petersburg, Fla., until 2008. For most of those years, the ship was still owned by MGM. The current owner, Robert Hansen, purchased the Bounty in 2001
If you’re going;
What: The HMS Bounty, a replica of the historic British merchant ship infamous for the 1789 mutiny led by Fletcher Christian against Capt. William Bligh. The ship was built for the 1962 MGM film, “Mutiny on the Bounty,” starring Marlon Brando, Trevor Howard and Richard Harris.
Where: St. Augustine Municipal Marina (next to the Bridge of Lions)
When: Open for tours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday through Sunday.
Tickets to tour the ship only are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Tickets to tour the museum only are regular prices: $12.99 adults, $6.99 kids (5-12 years) and under 5 free. Tickets to tour the ship only are available at the marina. Ticket to tour the ship and the museum are available at the marina, the museum website and at the museum.
For more information, go to www.tallshipbounty.org or call 631-584-7900
If you would like to sail into a new home or condo here in the Oldest City, please let me know. I would be happy to help you find the waterfront home for you, your family and your boat.
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