Rescue of the Bounty
By: and
- Synopsis
- The harrowing story of the sinking and rescue of Bounty--the tall ship used in the classic 1962 movie Mutiny on the Bounty--which was caught in the path of Hurricane Sandy with sixteen aboard On Thursday, October 25, 2012, Captain Robin Walbridge made the fateful decision to sail Bounty from New London, Connecticut, to St. Petersburg, Florida. Walbridge was well aware that a hurricane was forecast to travel north from the Caribbean toward the eastern seaboard. Yet the captain was determined to sail. As he explained to his crew of fifteen: a ship is always safer at sea than in port. He intended to sail "around the hurricane" and told the crew that anyone who did not want to come on the voyage could leave the ship--there would be no hard feelings. As fate would have it, no one took the captain up on his offer. Four days into the voyage, Superstorm Sandy made an almost direct hit on Bounty. The vessel's failing pumps could not keep up with the incoming water. The ship began to lose power as it was beaten and rocked by hurricane winds that spanned eight hundred miles. A few hours later, in the dark of night, the ship suddenly overturned ninety miles off the North Carolina coast in the "Graveyard of the Atlantic," sending the crew tumbling into an ocean filled with towering thirty-foot waves. The coast guard then launched one of the most complex and massive rescues in its history, flying two Jayhawk helicopter crews into the hurricane and lowering rescue swimmers into the raging seas again and again, despite the danger to their own lives. In the uproar heard across American media in the days following, a single question persisted: Why did the captain decide to sail? Through hundreds of hours of interviews with the crew members, their families, and the coast guard, the masterful duo of Michael J. Tougias and Douglas A. Campbell creates an in-depth portrait of the enigmatic Captain Walbridge, his motivations, and what truly occurred aboard Bounty during those terrifying days at sea. Dripping with suspense and vivid high-stakes drama, Rescue of the Bounty is an unforgettable tale about the brutality of nature and the human will to survive.
- Copyright:
- 2014
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Publisher Quality
- ISBN-13:
- 9781476746654
- Related ISBNs:
- 9781476746630
- Publisher:
- Scribner
- Date of Addition:
- 04/05/14
- Copyrighted By:
- Michael J. Tougias, Douglas A. Campbell
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- Nonfiction, Outdoors and Nature, Earth Sciences
- Submitted By:
- Bookshare Staff
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.
Reviews
5 out of 5
By Debee Norling on Aug 19, 2015
My favorite book by Mike Tougias. He explores in depth the motivations, prejudices, strengths and weakenss of each main character, including the Captain who was criticized for steering his crew in to danger. Lots of background on tall ships, sailing, shipyard repairs and the non-profits that enable these reconstructions to float. Unlike many technical books featuring sailing, Tougias takes the time to define and explain unfamiliar terms, making the details as accessible to a novice as they are to a sailor.