As I write this, Hurricane Sandy is still raging, and with so many tragedies and devastating images, the news is overwhelming. But the one event that stays in my mind is the loss of the
HMS Bounty, along with two members of her noble crew. At this time, one body has been recovered and her captain is still missing. Thankfully, 14 other crew members were rescued by the Coast Guard. The ship herself now rests at the bottom of the sea.
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The Bounty at anchor, with the Duluth
Lift Bridge in the background.
(I was leaning as I took this shot --
not the bridge!) |
It was only two years ago that she sailed into Duluth harbor, where my wife and I saw her at the 2010 Tall Ships Festival. It was a special trip for us -- our 30th wedding anniversary. My wife loves ships and comes from a line of sea captains ("Bold Daniel" Hathorne, who fought in the American Revolution, is one of her ancestors), so I thought this would be the perfect anniversary gift. And it was. We spent the whole day enjoying the sight of seven tall ships and exploring the festival on shore, including a performance of
The Pirates of Penzance. (With the exception of the promo shot of the
Bounty under sail above, I took all the photos on this page that day. Click the pix to see enlargements.)
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| Details of her hull and rigging. |
Like millions of others, I had seen this ship in
Mutiny on the Bounty, as well as
Pirates of the Caribbean. I remember going with my father to see the 1962 release of
Mutiny (he was a Navy man and loved anything to do with the sea), and I had recently viewed the film again in preparation for the Duluth trip. So this festival was not only a gift for my wife, it was a piece of nostalgia.
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Her masts against the
clear Duluth sky. |
To me, the story of the original
Bounty was almost mythological in historical importance. The opportunity to see such an exact replica up close was a real thrill. Little did we know, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, because now she is gone forever. I'm thankful we got to see her, and will always remember that wonderful day among the great tall ships.
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The Bounty docked in Duluth, 2010. The object in the
foreground is a vintage buoy. |
2 comments:
It was such a beautiful vessel. Hopefully they will be able to recover her. Either way you have such lovely memories share by you and your wife plus this wonderful post.
Take care,
Praying for a fast recovery on the East coast.
Mal
Yes, it would be great if they can recover her. If not, she will make a home for fishes and a place for divers to visit.
I too am praying for a fast recovery on the east coast -- and for people to finally wake up and realize that climate change is real. These storms keep getting worse and worse.
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