The Fate of the HMS Bounty's Replica

We've all seen pictures and heard news stories about the damage of our Eastern seaboard by Superstorm Sandy. Apparently, it also claimed a ship of historical interest: a sailing vessel named HMS Bounty, which was a complete replica ship built in 1960 for a film about the original.

Pictured in Chicago for the Tall Ships Festival 2003

The story of the original Bounty is a story from 1789, when part of the crew mutinied against its captain and sent him and half the crew out to sea in a lifeboat. The lifeboat and some crewmen survived a 3600 nautical-mile journey; the ship, however, was intentionally set on fire after the crew landed on an island to avoid attracting the attention of the British Royal Navy.

The replica ship was built in 1960 as a complete, functional sailing ship for the movie "Mutiny on the Bounty" and also made an appearance in "Pirates of the Caribbean." Only days before Hurricane Sandy hit the eastern seaboard, the captain decided to sail the ship back to port to wait out the storm; unfortunately, it was caught in the middle when a generator blew. Fourteen crew members were rescued by Coast Guard helicopter; however, the captain and a crew member were washed overboard. The captain is still missing.

Take a walk through some distant and recent nautical history, and check out National Geographic's photo gallery about the ship's sinking, crew rescue, and original mutiny here.