14 year old crossing Atlantic in 28' sailboat

[eric3a]

..

[Catigale]

Ive read that they only got 2 or 3 good sextant shots due to the weather - and an Island is really easy to miss in the South Atlantic...a little miscalc on leeway and you are cooked....

[baldbaby2000]

Graham, As a sea historian, do you know what happened to the lifeboat that Captain Bligh used when the crew put him and 18 other men into to sail over 3000 miles to safety?

It's been a while since I read "Men Against the Sea," but as I recall the boat was auctioned off in Dutch Java where they landed while they were still there. Who bought it I'm not sure. 41 days on that boat and only loosing one man to Cannibals. I think a couple more died of disease once the got to Java.

[eric3a]

..

[baldbaby2000]

Our forefathers had definitely better nav skills than us.

When Captain Bligh was set adrift he wasn't given much to work with. When navigating through the Great Barrier Reef he relied on memories of when he had served with Captain Cook as sailing master years earlier.

[BK]

A footnote on Captain Bligh, he was exonerated for any wrong doing and was made an Admiral during his long life at sea.
Flethcher Christren died not too long after landing at Pitcain during a fight with the crew/natives over women.
At the British Maritime museum they have a wooden foot locker from crewmember Brown who was the only crew member left at Pitcain from the mutiny when they were finally found.
Also on display is Bligh's chronograph watch and a half coconut shell which was used to measure equally all food/water eaten on their 41 days at sea.
There is also a large portion of the metal sheaving recovered from the Bounty during the 1960's.