 The Bounty, photographed from a Coast Guard aircraft above, before the vessel sank. (Photo courtesy National Transportation Safety Board) |
By LCN Staff
A report released by the National Transportation Safety Board Feb. 10 attributed the sinking of the HMS Bounty in October 2012 largely on a poor decision by the ship’s captain.
According to the NTSB report, Capt. Robin Walbridge’s “reckless” decision to set sail from New London, Conn., bound for St. Petersburg, Fla., in the face of Hurricane Sandy “subjected the aging vessel and the inexperienced crew to conditions from which the vessel could not recover.”
Other contributing factors included shoddy maintenance, an inexperienced crew and a lack of effective safety oversight by the vessel’s organization, which did nothing to persuade the captain not to sail, the report states.
About a week prior to setting to sea, the HMS Bounty had been in Boothbay Harbor for maintenance and repairs. According to the report, most of the repairs were made by members of the ship’s crew.
“One of their tasks was to caulk and re-seam a wooden hull, which had known areas of rot, with compounds supplied by the captain, including a silicone sealant marketed for household use,” NTSB reports.
The report states crew members did express concern about sailing with the forecast of a hurricane.
Walbridge, 43, reportedly advised crew members they were free to leave and rejoin the vessel later, but they would be responsible for paying their own way to Florida if they did not travel with the ship.
The report states, “The crew members testified that they admired and respected the captain and that the camaraderie among the crew was substantial. Therefore, none of the crew members chose to leave.”
According to the report, around 5 p.m. Oct. 25, after the Navy event concluded in New London, Capt. Walbridge called the crew members to a meeting. According to crew’s testimony, he announced his plan was still to sail the Bounty to St. Petersburg starting that same evening and the vessel’s exact course would depend on the hurricane’s path as the storm moved north along the coast.
Walbridge reportedly expressed the intention to take the Bounty well out to sea, and let the hurricane pass southwest of the vessel and spoke of his confidence in the Bounty‘s ability to handle rough weather.
According to the report, early Sunday, Oct. 27, Walbridge changed course and attempted to sail southwest, between Sandy and the coastline in what was possibly an attempt to outrun the storm.
The NTSB report states crew members were not privy as to why Walbridge apparently changed course and speculate that he may have hoped a following wind would have pushed the vessel toward its destination in Florida.
“What everyone, but especially the captain and senior crew, failed to anticipate was the damaging effect that prolonged exposure to the storm would have on the wooden vessel,” the report states.
By midday Sunday the crew was struggling to keep the failing vessel upright in the face of 30-foot seas and 90-knot winds.
According to the NTSB report, the chief mate suggested calling the Coast Guard around 6 p.m. that same day but Capt. Walbridge demurred until 8:45 p.m. Around midnight, Oct. 29, all power on the Bounty failed.
After consultations with the Coast Guard, it was determined the crew would remain with the vessel at least until daylight.
At 4:26 a.m the Bounty rolled hard to starboard and the bow was submerged under a large wave, forcing the captain and the crew to abandon ship in the darkness, about 110 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras.
Using a rescue swimmer Coast Guard responders were able to rescue 14 survivors, beginning about 6:41 a.m.
The body of one crew member, Claudene Christian, 42, of Oklahoma was recovered around 4:38 p.m. about eight nautical miles southeast of the sinking. Walbridge’s body was not recovered and he is presumed deceased.
The Bounty was last seen around 7:20 that same day, awash in the sea about 13 nautical miles southeast from where the crew went into the water.
“It was an end to a voyage that should not have been attempted,” the report states.
The entire report of the National Transportation Board is available here.
The HMS Bounty was a replica of the an 18th century British Admiralty vessel which was used in the 1962 movie, “Mutiny on the Bounty.”
