SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

An Informed Opinion about the Bounty

21K views 140 replies 39 participants last post by  PCP 
#1 · (Edited)
#140 ·
True, Paulo, but given the size and forecast path of the storm, how was he planning to get to that southeast quadrant without going through one of the the northern quadrants of the storm which are highly dangerous. In addition, winds in the southeast quadrant would be southerly pushing the Bounty away from her destination. According to the Facebook page the idea was to sail fast and squeeze by the storm but the Bounty was a slow ship even in the best of circumstances. (I don't see her getting over 9 kts unless you dropped her off a cliff) and by every report the storm was too big to squeeze around in any case. It all makes no sense not now and not then, before the Bounty set sail. As for getting 'a good ride', I just can't imagine anyone who has ever been in a hurricane ever saying that. It is beyond terrifying. The wind shrieks through the rigging like something trying to eat your soul. The whole boat vibrates like a guitar string. I've been there (not by choice but through an act of consumate stupidity) and I would never ever want to go through that again.
Why would an experienced captain make that decision? This is what we don't know and will never know.
I suppose it's too much to ask but I really hope that they don't make this tragedy into a made-for-tv movie
 
#141 · (Edited)
True, Paulo, but given the size and forecast path of the storm, how was he planning to get to that southeast quadrant without going through one of the the northern quadrants of the storm which are highly dangerous. In addition, winds in the southeast quadrant would be southerly pushing the Bounty away from her destination. ...
Why would an experienced captain make that decision? This is what we don't know and will never know.
..
Yes I agree. He started to go on one course that was probably consistent with what he had said than changed completely of course and tried to out run the storm???.

I think that CG should really investigate previous Bounty's Captain behaviors in what regards past hurricanes and extreme weather sailing. Did the Captain in fact proceeded some times like he described on that video? that was consistent with what he had said to his crew regarding what he wanted to do on this one.

There are a lot of statements that says that he used to do that and not from accusing sources, but from himself, his wife, Bounty's crew and Bounty's organization. There are some more clues that indicates that something was not right regarding the way he and the crew valued Bounty's seaworthiness to face extreme weather. Statements like this: "Bounty knows no boundaries" and "Bounty loves Hurricanes", not to speak of that interview, made by him or the crew raise doubts about that.

Of course if that is confirmed, I mean that this was not a first time, that creates a pattern that would help to explain why he chose to sail an Hurricane or why he said to its crew that the Bounty would be safer out there facing in the sea an hurricane than staying in Port (and off course to a good captain the lives of his crew are always the first concern).

I understand that this perspective is very inconvenient for the other Tall Ship Captains that would prefer a perspective where Bounty's Captain is "an experienced and respected captain who knew his vessel very well" that just made an inexplicable decision instead of a Tall Ship captain that sometimes took unacceptable risks with his Ship and that run out of luck.

He was one of them, I mean an experienced Tall Ship Captain and If this take on the facts was confirmed it would just raise even more public suspicion over Tall Ships and its captains.

Of course, it is possible several others explanation for an experienced and good captain (prudent has all good captains) to have deliberately taken a XVIII century designed wooden boat into an hurricane. Someone suggested a brain tumor, but I guess that there could be other explanations even if I cannot imagine them. Maybe someone can?

Regards

Paulo
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top