Bounty

More information on the sinking, the weather is reported to be seas of 4.5 metres high and winds of about 68 kilometres per hour in the evening when the crew reported taking on water. This morning the crew abandoned ship after taking ten feet of water. Three crew were washed over while launching the rafts. One was found dead and the captain is missing still. Claudene Christian, 42, was located by an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter Monday evening. Her body was taken to Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City, N.C. The hospital confirmed the death of Christian. The Bounty sank several hours after the evacuation. In some cases, escaping to sea can be the smart move for ships in a harbor with a Hurricane approaching, but in this case it is not so clear. In a year that’s seen poor seamanship lead to numerous deaths and incredible tragedy all over US sailing, the highest-profile example yet has resulted in this horrific scene. Like the entire tall ship community, Barque Picton Castle skipper Dan Moreland is shocked, but square-rig insiders are saying that this is just the latest instance of dismal levels of seamanship on many boats in the traditional vessel fleet.