Sandy Sinks Tall Ship, 14 Rescued and Two Missing {Bounty}

ABC News ^ | 29 Oct 2012 | KEVIN DOLAK

[shove_it]

Fourteen people were rescued this morning from a tall ship that was sunk by Hurricane Sandy, but a Coast Guard helicopter is scouring the churning seas for two crew members who are missing.

The HMS Bounty, a three masted ship, was 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C., when the owner called saying she'd lost contact with the crew Sunday night, The AP reported. The Bounty is a 180-foot replica of the ship featured in the film "Mutiny on the Bounty."

[shove_it]

Vid at link.

[bigbob]

“The ship left Connecticut last week for St. Petersburg, Fla.”

Maybe it’s just me (and I’m no sailor) - but this seems like a poor time to go to sea.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Wattsupwiththat.com has great stuff about Sandy.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/10/29/latest-super-high-resolution-image-of-hurricane-sandy/#more-73246

[grame]

My hubbie & I were in St Pete, late April, early May and saw this ship come into port. Our tour guide on a birding boat said that was the first time The Bounty had been to St Pete. We were on the beach for the sunrise that morning and saw it sailing across the horizon. Beautiful. I hope they got the crew count wrong & have found everyone safe.

[ottbmare]

Ships do not typically stay in harbor during a hurricane. Even very large ships stand out to sea when a great storm is approaching.

I was on this beautiful vessel once several years ago. It was a floating work of art, a gorgeous wooden machine. What a sorrow this would be, even had all the crew survived.

How terrible for crew to lose their lives in this way, just as they might have done 200 years ago, in the cold and terror. I can only pray for them and hope it was very quick.

[NonValueAdded]

Yes, they stand out to sea (unless there is a really good harbor)but they DON’T sail into the teeth of the storm.

[PilotDave]

This accident was avoidable. Horrible judgement to be at sea in this sailing ship with hurricane bearing down. She should have been anchored in a safe harbour and had 4 or 5 storm anchors set. They will loose the lawsuits.

[panzerkamphwageneinz]

When the bilge pumps quit working you founder.....

[golux]

Just a few thoughts from a yachtsman: It seems likely that the Captain wanted to go out, but looking at the early track of the storm as they sailed south, he thought it best to pass southbound well in front of it and find a hole somewhere rather than risk being caught on the north side of it. (always it seems a bad idea, like the time I thought I could cross a shipping lane in front of a tanker - yes I did this)

I suspect also that he counted on auxiliary propulsion to "beat the storm" but that the "lost propulsion" landed them square offshore in the teeth of it.

I am almost certain that they lost electrical, too, i.e. Weatherfax, SSB, etc. which is why the parent company lost them and they may have had insufficient meteorological information.

A ship like that has a lot of resistance topsides and high freeboard, making some kind of drogue or sea-anchor warped off the bow the only option near the end... Not that big a deal, I've done it, but in this case we are dealing with a big sail even with all canvas down. The last option being, of course, to cut away the masts and rigging and pray they don't hole the boat... A practically impossible feat on a boat like that in those conditions.

Finally I imagine the ship was abandoned when the masts began to break, slip their partners or stretch their steps if that is possible, and the seams began to open up.

I also submit they are still feeling the whip of Vice Admiral William Bligh, who may never let Saint Peter look upon their sorry souls.

I now submit these armchair hypotheticals to the stinging criticism of Lord Kenny Bunk, Rear Admiral of the Ocean Seas and Highly Rated in All Conditions by Unfortunate Women in and out of Every Port.

[Mat_Helm]

Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish Ladies
Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain;
For we’ve received orders for to sail for old England
And we may never see you fair ladies again.

[Mat_Helm]

Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish Ladies
Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain;
For we’ve received orders for to sail for old England
And we may never see you fair ladies again.

[EDINVA]

The Navy sent all its ships in Norfolk out to sea a couple of days ago. Safest place to be, assuming they’ve gone far out enough.

[Irish Eyes]

Prayers out for the two missing crew.

It was a beautiful ship.

[PilotDave]

“Navy sent all its ships”

NOT the same thing. Modern Navy ships are able to power at 30+ knots in any direction they choose. They can get out of the way. A 150 year old sailing ship CANNOT do this. Even with auxiliary power this ship cannot power straight into a wind/sea when the winds reach probably 25knots. She had way to much wind catching rigging. It would stop her dead.

[shove_it]

Dodging freighters is a common hazard when sailing on the Great Lakes, especially at night in Lake Huron during the Port Huron to Mackinac Island Race, particularly in the Straits of Mackinac. I recall crossing in front of a freighter so close that we surfed down her bow wave while the crew of the freighter looked over her rail to see if there were any survivors from that yacht of fools.

[shove_it]

Dodging freighters is a common hazard when sailing on the Great Lakes, especially at night in Lake Huron during the Port Huron to Mackinac Island Race, particularly in the Straits of Mackinac. I recall crossing in front of a freighter so close that we surfed down her bow wave while the crew of the freighter looked over her rail to see if there were any survivors from that yacht of fools.

[Hot Tabasco]

Their course was the logical one and based on sound seamanship considering the magnitude of the hurricane.

They were effectively sailing on the eastward side of the storm, heading south and would have successfully sailed around the southern tail of the storm had their engines and pumps not given out.

It was a calculated risk and the right one to make considering the fact that the ship would have been destroyed if it had made port anywhere along the coastline where the hurricane was the most intense...........

You can read more of their account on their facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/HMSBounty

[Oztrich Boy]

Their course was the logical one and based on sound seamanship considering the magnitude of the hurricane.

They were effectively sailing on the eastward side of the storm, heading south

Westward side (the storm center is still 100+ miles out to sea.

Going East they would of been bucking headwinds all the way

West side with the wind was logical, but it meant sailing between the storm and C.Hatteras. Sometimes there are no good options.

[golux]

Yes indeed, that is a lesson I have only had to learn once, thank goodness. When unable for whatever reason to determine a good relative bearing never again have I thought: “...Well, it sure doesn’t SEEM to be going terribly fast!”

[golux]

I am not so sure about all this "sound seamanship" stuff.

I am not, but were I suddenly made her Master I guarantee you I would have run up the Chesapeake and set all anchors - with these winds and this track even Mobjack Bay near the mouth offers almost a thousand of miles of land against the prevailing winds. A seamanship question.

But did she have sufficient ground tackle? A seamanship question.

When tall ship fairies killed the engines, or when someone did not have the right impeller, or fuel filter, or belt, or know how to make the repair, the "risk everyone" decision had already been made.