This authentic replica of the sailing ship was used in the film Mutiny on the Bounty then went on to star in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. To allow more room for film crews and paraphernalia, this ship is a little larger than the original and is just as impressive.
Original HMS Bounty Sailing Ship
The original sailing ship was known as Bethia when built in Hull, England, in 1784 to carry coal. The ship was then refitted by the Deptford Naval Yard in 1787, to be ready for a voyage to Tahiti. The workers on the sugar cane plantations in the West Indies were given the breadfruit plant as a cheap source of food and the plant was mainly found in Tahiti.
Renamed the Bounty, the sailing ship was commissioned for a voyage of eighteen months. Her refitting was overseen by the botanist and gardener of Kew Gardens, David Nelson, and William Bligh, the captain who would later be overthrown by Fletcher Christian during the famous mutiny.
The New Bounty Tall Ship
The replica Bounty tall ship was built in 1960, at the Smith and Rhuland Shipyard in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, following the original sailing ship plans from the British Naval Maritime Museum. The replica was commissioned by Metro-Goldwyn Meyer film studios to be ready for the 1962 film, Mutiny on the Bounty, starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard. When the fully-rigged tall ship was ready, it too sailed to Tahiti but this time it was to begin filming.
Although the newer ship’s deck space is a third larger than the original, the present helm is the original one from the Mutiny on the Bounty film of 1935, starring Clark Gable. The Bounty is now owned by the HMS Bounty Organization LLC, who did some refitting on her before setting sail on a ‘Round the World Voyage’. The ship still has four cannons pointing out to sea, more than eighteen sails and three decks.
The Figurehead of HMS Bounty
The female figurehead is called Bethia, after the name of the original sailing ship. Normally of a buxom shape, with few clothes, the figurehead of a ship was believed to bring luck. It was important for illiterate sailors to recognise their ship and each figurehead was unique.
Bethia is much more covered than most, with a full, modest dress, and even a hat. This is an authentic replica of the original Bounty figurehead, which Captain Bligh described in his journal as, “a handsome woman in a riding habit, well carved.”
Sail Passages and Visitor Tours on the Bounty
During 2009, the Bounty has visited several countries, including the UK. While in Scotland in September, the magnificent tall ship attracted great interest. Many of the children visiting it immediately recognised it as the ship in the second of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. At each port, visitors are allowed to explore the ship for a small fee and learn what it was like for 18th century sailors to live and sleep in cramped conditions.
Sail passages on the Bounty are available from one day to a month or more, where passengers learn to work alongside the crew and experience life aboard a sailing ship. Volunteers are also welcome to help with restoration and maintenance work and there is no need to have previous sailing experience.
The tall ship, HMS Bounty, offers a unique and exciting opportunity to anyone with an interest in maritime history and eighteenth century sailing ships. Full details of their educational and volunteer programmes are on their website.
Anyone interested in sailing ships and tall ships may also enjoy taking a trip on a Star Clipper Cruise where passengers are allowed to take the wheel or hoist the sails.
Rosemary Gemmell - Professional freelance writer of published short stories and articles in the UK, US and online. Author of historical romance and ...
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