The Bounty
October 30, 2012
The last time I saw the Bounty sail out of Lunenburg Harbour I was sailing (superman style) down the pier hoping for a great picture. It was my favourite ship to dock in the harbour this summer. And even though you could go on board for a small fee, I somehow didn't manage it. Instead, Brad and I opted to get up at 5:30 in the morning to watch it leave. There is nothing as beautiful as a tall ship in full sails on the backdrop of a glowing sunrise. The weather had other ideas. We got up early for rain, fog, grey skies and no sails. We hopped from pier to pier trying to stay as close as possible for as long as possible. As it usually happens in a small town, it's hard to get very far, even in the wee hours, without running into someone you know. We ended up talking for a little while and by the time we made it down to the last pier the ship was receding at an alarming rate. With my camera in hand, poised to shoot, I sprinted down the length of it. It was the mysterious piece of unmarked wood nailed to the decking that tripped me up. I remember flying for a really long time and then landing for a really long time. Thank goodness I had my camera out front to break my fall but I think that was probably the final straw for the auto focus on my lens. It hasn't worked since. I'm so grateful that the piece of wood wasn't closer to the end of the pier or I would have flown straight into the great Atlantic Ocean. I got up as quick as I could which resembled more of a slow-motion replay than a sprinter's race and hobbled to the end of the pier to snap that one last pathetic photograph. And then it was gone.
The H.M.S. Bounty sank yesterday in the rough waters of Hurricane Sandy. More than the ship, the crew lost one of its members and the captain is still missing. This ship was a replica of the original H.M.S. Bounty of Mutiny on the Bounty fame. It was built here in Lunenburg in the 1960s for the Marlon Brando movie Mutiny on the Bounty. It seems that everyone in town has a story about that ship. Some more ridiculous than others (please see above) but a story just the same. It will be greatly missed.