Capt. Bligh (was Re:Just found the Crew Wanted and Available Forum )

[Dyflin]

OK, let the drifting cease!

Now Capt. Bligh.

He is well known in this part of the world because he was sent to Dublin in 1800 to conduct the first survey of Dublin Bay and he recommended that the North Bull Wall should be constructed, parallel to the South Bull Wall to prevent sand building up in the mouth of the harbour.

He predicted that this would create a natural scouring action that would deepen the river channel. When the North Bull Wall was eventually completed in 1842, sand gradually accumulated along its side until the modern Bull Island emerged. Bull Island is now a UNESCO Biosphere reserve. The only one within a capital city.

All this happened 13 years after the Bounty.

The fact also that he managed to get himself and 18 crewmen to safety, in a 23 foot launch, with just with four cutlasses and food and water for a few days, a sextant and a pocket watch, but no charts or compass. Bligh managed a 3618nm voyage to Timor. In this amazing act of seamanship, he succeeded in reaching Timor after 41 days.

 

[Guest]

http://www.sttudy.org.uk/Bligh/bligh.htm

Which ever one you read all seem to have slightly different tales to tell ..... but the basic matter - is they all agree on his exceptional Seamanship and navigation. It is also important that near all his brushes with authority led to acquittal and sentencing of his opponents.

 

[suse]

Re: Capt. Bligh (was Re:Just found the Crew Wanted and Available Forum

Hijacked!

(signed) Fletcher Christian x

 

[oceanfroggie]

Re: Capt. Bligh (was Re:Just found the Crew Wanted and Available Forum

I think Hollywood glamorised "Fletcher Christian" but historical records suggest he was a misguided thug. Bligh seems to have been an exceptional seaman, rather than the nutter "Trevor Howard" played.

 

[Guest]

Other misinformation ?

It is commonly portraid that FC was an officer and a Gentleman of station above that of Bligh. Seems that it was Bligh that appointed him as Master and got FC on the officer rungs .... and it is interesting that when reading accounts - not much is made of FC's "roots" or lineage.

It is also interesting that FC was killed by Polynesians who were well known to him .... in fact they took a dislike to FC's lot later and not only killed FC - but near all them.

The movies are good .... Charles Laughtn was great .... and the girls can always be remembered !! But once you start reading the texts on the net - you start to wonder who was good ... who was bad .... the whole thing has become a mire of deceit ......

The write-up of the 3 guys hung from the yardarm particularly shows how unfair it all became.

 

[oceanfroggie]

Re: Other misinformation ?

I'll say one thing for Bligh, he was a heck of a cartographer. The Admiralty chart of Dublin bay surveyed by him 200 years ago, is still in use today such was the accurancy of his methods. It has only had corrections for bouys, lights and the banks, etc.

 

[tillergirl]

Re: Other misinformation ?

For a historical view, 'What happened on the Bounty' by Bengt Danielsson is worth reading. Relations between Bligh and several of the 'non commissioned officers' progressively broke down during the enormously arduous passage out.

 

[tcm]

Another book

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bounty-True-Story-Mutiny/dp/0006532462

Yep, although the outbound trip taking three months to get out of solent, failing to round cape horn, turning round and going via Cape of good hope to tahiti v arduaouss, they were all ok.

Note though that the passage home started around 10months after arriving at tahiti. Yes, relations weren't great but they weren't great on lots of ships. Bligh's problem was that he had no militia/marines to enforce orders. From my reading of the book above (which will take some time, of bounty, of pandora sent to round up mutineers, and of court case...) the defence legal team aided by others managed to promulagate the "overbearing capitain" story.

The real reason for the mutiny is that they liked the life in tahiti and immediately after the mutiny they returned there.

I confess that after reading halfway through the book, it prompted me to orgainse a sailing holiday there last christmas. Then I read the other half and found that bligh had a dreadful storm in december (!) but it was ok for us.

 

[Guest]

Rarely mentioned details ...

Bounty was in fact a Merchant Vessel seconded into RN ... and deemed an Armed Merchantman.

Bligh was the only real RN officer on board and HE assigned rank to Christian.

No Marines or other Officers as tcm said to enforce RN / seagoing discipline.

Tahitian life of "free-love" was extremely appealling to the men after staying for months.

Other vessels that had visited - Cooks included had similar problems with crew after visits ... but they had militia on board and also more use of the Cat than Bligh ...

Amazing details come forth once a search is started .......

And anyway - as I understand from just these past few days of searching ... which story is true ? They all purport to be ... but ????????