H M S Bounty. What Mysteries Does She Hold For You?

One of the last full-rigged ships still sailing, the H.M.S Bounty has a history full of colour, character and adventure.

Books and films have made the “Bounty” one of the most famous sailing ships on our seven seas. There have been over 2000 articles and books, 5 motion pictures and countless documentary films.

She was originally called “The Bethia” and was purchased by the Royal Navy and sailed into Deptford for refitting and supply.

Unfortunately The Bounty was really too small and cramped for a long mission, being only: 215 tons, 90 feet long and 24 feet wide.

In the year of Our Lord 1787, on a cold and windy morning on December the 23rd, an enthusiastic young British Naval officer stepped onto the deck of H M S Bounty.

Lieutenant William Bligh was fresh from sailing as master to Captain James Cook on his voyages to the South Pacific. He was commissioned by Sir Joseph banks and the British Admiralty, to undertake a voyage on a small ship, HMS Bounty.

The goal of the voyage was to obtain a large number of breadfruit plantings from Tahiti and take them to the Caribbean where they would be transplanted to provide food for the slaves in those colonies. One breadfruit plant would be enough to feed a slave for a year.

Lieutenant William Bligh stood on the deck, eyes transfixed on the horizon, oblivious and unaware of anyone else. He knew that if he was successful on this voyage he would be noticed by his superiors, and a much larger ship would be his reward.

Crewmembers walked past him, young Thomas Ellison and his friend Peter Heywood, just 15yrs of age saluted him, but he didn’t see them. Only the journey ahead was in his mind.

There is much disagreement as to who was to blame for the mutiny. On 28th of April 1789, when the Bounty was sailing in the Friendly Islands, Fletcher Christian, the Masters Mate, led a mutiny aboard the HMS Bounty.

The mutineers put William Bligh and 18 of his followers into one of the ships launches and set them adrift. Christian then sailed the pirated ship back to Tahiti.

William Bligh was able to sail the launch to Timor in the Western Pacific, a 3,168-mile journey, from where he was able to get a sailing on a ship back to England.

Click the logo to view a Ship-model of HMS Bounty