DAY 43:  FIVE DAYS UNTIL HOME DRY IN KUPANG, BUT CREW FACE UNEXPECTED SET BACK

Talisker Bounty Boat crew encounter freak knock down 

Friday 11th June 11.00am AEST.  Last night the crew of the Talisker Bounty Boat suffered an unexpected knock down, just five days before they are set to land in Kupang.  The abrupt soaking saw the mast of the boat start to sink beneath the waves.  As the crew swiftly bailed themselves to safety, the experience has been a reminder of the sometime volatile behavior of Mother Nature.

Talisker Bounty Boat Captain Don McIntyre posted the following account onto his blog: 

Conditions had moderated during tonight and the atmosphere onboard was very relaxed…I had four hours good sleep and had just been on the helm for two hours..there was very little breaking seas..about 3 meter waves and 15 to 20kts of wind….we did not consider ourselves in the danger zone of big seas and a dying wind which can make them dump…I did not have my harness or life jacket on..it was 0100hrs…the two Dave’s were asleep below…Chris was on the helm and the stars were booming out from the milky way again..life was good!!

I hears the wave break about 8 meters on our port side and come toward us at 90degrees to everything else all night..I stood up thinking I would get wet as I was sitting on the life raft…it hit hard..the boat slowly lifted as she went over with the mast lingering on the water as the boat continued to move forward as we had been sailing at about 5-6kts…then we stopped dead with water pouring over the starboard side filling the boat..I had been thrown down to that side and watched as the mast started to go under…At that point I knew the Dave’s were headed out to bucket but I screamed out get your life jackets as it looked like we would be inverted within seconds…I reached in the now side past the vertical dodger to get my life Jacket…after holding on its side for too long..maybe only 30 seconds ..Fortunately we started to slowly recover..the boat was flooded but we were vertical..waves were now coming freely in to the cockpit as Dave. W and I started Bucketing..Dave W was still getting his jacket on and getting the cooking pot to bail…I told Chris to hold dead down wind and we went for it as fast as we could..Dave W then went into the aft cockpit and used the cooking pot..within a few minutes we were winning the race and the last bit was pumped out..

We have lost a bit of gear over the side but nothing important..most things in the dodger got very wet including the log and one iridium phone but all look salvageable…

Plenty of laughs all round and I suppose it was a wakeup call..it is never over till the fat lady sings!!

I am truly amazed about this knockdown..the conditions were totally benign…very pleasant in fact so this one really caught us out…last night I slept in my Harness/life jacket…looks like more of the same for the rest of this evening..

It was a scary sight watching the mast slowly sink below the waves once we stopped..I was sure we were going in and in a strange way it was all the training about to kick in so I was pretty calm…as long as we all got to our life jacket/Harness and got out from under the dodger…if not big problems…our harness’s are vital..they include knife, Cyalume sticks, Rocket flares and red/smoke flares and importantly all our individual Fast Find 406 GPS PLB’s…we would have had a good fight getting the boat upright again …so all those other things are just a last resort..but nice to know they are there…

I wonder how Bligh would have coped with a similar wave…I think TBB is an excellent sea boat but being smaller than Bligh’s launch may be the only weakness…who knows..TBB is a very safe boat well prepared and crewed but I always said from the very beginning that this adventure has an unknown outcome which is the attraction…..

We have trained for an inversion…I just prefer it not to happen…someone is looking over us…just maybe it is Bligh…he would want us to get to the end I am sure….

Don

The crew are currently due to reach Kupang on 16th June. 

Don McIntyre and the crew are attempting to raise over $250,000 for The Sheffield Institute Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease (SIF) which is building the world’s first research Institute into Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. For the location of the Talisker Bounty Boat and to follow the crew’s blog visit www.taliskerbountyboat.com <http://www.taliskerbountyboat.com/>  

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DAY 34: TALISKER BOUNTY BOAT BACK ON AUSTRALIAN SOIL

A slightly worse for wear crew arrive at Restoration Island

Tuesday 1^st June 2010: 34 days since leaving the sparkling shores of Tonga, the Talisker Bounty Boat crew are back on Australian soil at Queensland’s Restoration Island.  The National Park, about 800km North of Cairns, will provide the exhausted crew with a much needed two day break from what has been both a physically and emotional challenging voyage so far.

The crew, who are in the midst of recreating Captain William Bligh’s journey from Tonga to Timor, has survived for over a month in cramped and soaking conditions in a 25ft wooden boat that is continually filling with water.  They have encountered a knock down, a poor and unpleasant diet consisting largely of sea biscuits and tinned corned beef, near misses with coral reefs and surreptitious sand cays, and a captain hit with gout and kidney stones. 

Staying true to Bligh’s account, the crew will now spend two days on the Island that Bligh himself aptly named ‘Restoration Island’, partly due to the plentiful native fruits and oysters found there that aided his crew’s recuperation.  The Talisker Bounty Boat crew will instead be celebrating the milestone moment by tucking into some much anticipated boiled chicken stew!

The crew are due to leave Restoration Island at first light this Thursday 3^rd June and will tackle the tip of Cape York Peninsula before continuing the last leg of their ambitious journey towards Kupang in Timor.   But with crew member Dave Wilkinson threatening to make Restoration Island his last stop, it looks like it could be ‘man down’ for the Talisker Bounty Boat Crew.  Don McIntyre commented; “If that is Dave’s decision then I truly believe that we will be OK.  Dave Pryce is my right hand man and a true tower of strength and young Chris Wilde has more than proved himself, so we will continue to be a strong team”.

Don McIntyre and the crew are also attempting to raise over $250,000 for The Sheffield Institute Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease (SIF) which is building the world’s first research Institute into Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. For the location of the Talisker Bounty Boat and to follow the crew’s blog visit www.taliskerbountyboat.com

-ENDS-

(AUS) MEDIA CONTACT: Emily Dwiar – (+61) 29281 0004 emilyd@splendidcomms.com

(UK) MEDIA CONTACT: Ruth Law – (+44) 207 025 7500 ruth.law@grayling.com / peter.english@grayling.com

An Appeal from the Talisker Bounty Boat

JOIN THE CREW ON  ‘TALISKER BOUNTY BOAT CHALLENGE DAY’

 - Raise Money for  SIF on Sunday, 16th May -

11th  May, 2010 – The crew of the Talisker Bounty Boat has launched a  fundraising challenge from their boat in the middle of the  expedition to raise money for the expedition’s nominated charity,  the Sheffield Institute Foundation.

The crew are  launching this appeal as they struggle with surviving on the same  food and drink rations that were available to Captain Bligh 221  years ago. ‘Talisker Bounty Boat Challenge Day’ will take place on  Sunday, 16th May. Members of the public are invited to  mimic the rations available to each crew member on board the  Talisker Bounty Boat with money saved on a day’s food being donated  via the website http://www.justgiving.com/bountyboatadventure <http://www.justgiving.com/bountyboatadventure> .  

The crew made the  appeal having survived gale force winds, near ‘reef’ misses, the  first knock-down, and almost losing the first Talisker Bounty Boat  crew member.

Whilst on an  uninhabited island in Fiji, British crew member  David Wilkinson announced his decision to quit the expedition as he  struggled with the rations endured by Captain William Bligh and his  crew 221 years previously. With skipper Don McIntyre close to  calling out a reserve crew member, David Wilkinson re-considered his  options and pledged to finish the expedition, much to the relief and  joy of his fellow crew-members.

The crew of the  Talisker Bounty Boat is now sailing towards Vanuato, a string of  more than 80 islands formerly known as the New  Hebrides. In his original voyage Captain Bligh and his  crew decided not to stop on the islands for fear of attack, even in  the face of extreme thirst and hunger. True to the original voyage  of Bligh, the crew of the Talisker Bounty Boat will not stop,  sailing around the top end of the islands before heading to  Australia and the  Great Barrier Reef.  

Conditions are  testing as the boat is filling with two litres of water the boat and  being pumped out every hour. The crew is also desperate for rain and  is hopeful as conditions are overcast with winds from the  North-East.  With no  rain since the expedition began fresh water supplies are beginning  to run-low.

With McIntyre and  the crew getting closer to the experience of Captain Bligh, Don  commented: “Adventure  is anything with an unknown outcome and we’re in the middle of a big  one right now. We don’t know what’s going to happen in the future,  but that’s all part of it.”

Don  McIntyre and the crew are also attempting to raise over $250,000 for  The Sheffield Institute Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease (SIF)  which is building the world’s first research Institute into Motor Neurone  Disease (MND), Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

For the location of the  Talisker Bounty Boat and to follow the crew’s blog visit www.taliskerbountyboat.com <http://www.taliskerbountyboat.com/>   

-ends-

Transcript of letter from the First Sea Lord of The Royal Navy

29th April 2010

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope KCB OBE ADC
Ministry of Defence London.
CNS/1/2/6

Mr Don McIntyre
Talisker Bounty Boat
29 April 2010

Dear Mr McIntyre,

I wanted to write in support of your remarkable venture to re-create William Bligh’s epic 4,000 mile open-boat voyage, after he and 18 of his ship’s company were cast adrift following the mutiny in Her Majesty’s Armed Vessel BOUNTY. I have no doubt that what lies ahead will test you and your team – not just your navigation and boat handling skills, but your mental and physical stamina and, occasionally, your sense of humour. Much has changed in the last 220 years, but the challenges of mastering the seas remain the same.

Your voyage, under the conditions which Bligh and his crew endured in 1789, serves to remind us that determined men can achieve extraordinary things. It also serves to raise funds for, and awareness of, vital research into Motor Neurone Disease, a devastating condition for which there is presently no cure.

It will be obvious to everyone who follows the progress of your adventure that you and your intrepid crew have courage and ambition in equal measure. You deserve every success and my Navy Board colleagues join me in wishing you fair winds and following seas.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Stanhope

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday 29th April 2010

ADVENTURERS SET SAIL THIS MORNING TO RE-CREATE NAUTICAL HISTORY
- The very first authentic re-enactment of Captain Bligh’s Mutiny on the Bounty Boat -
This morning (April 29th), four brave, adrenalin-fuelled adventurers began their incredible attempt to re-create nautical history – Captain Bligh’s Mutiny on the Bounty voyage. The four-man international crew, led by Australian adventurer Don McIntyre, were cast adrift off the coast of Tonga at 11am TOT local time.  Although now a day late, they set off at the exact same location 221 years after the original mutiny occurred.

After a whirlwind two weeks of intense voyage preparation and a Royal send off from the King of Tonga, the crew bid farewell to family, friends and their support boat.  Delayed by one day due to bad conditions where they met with 35 knot head winds, the crew are currently enjoying pleasant sailing conditions with 15 knots of breeze.  They are  now chasing Captain Bligh’s route towards Tofua, surviving on nothing but mutiny rations, which for today, is no food at all!

The seven week expedition aboard the Talisker Bounty Boat – a 25ft long, 7ft wide, open wooden vessel – will see the crew sailing over 4,000 nautical miles over seven weeks, from Tonga to Timor, and facing the same deprivations as the original crew. That means no navigation charts or modern navigational equipment; only two weeks of water; hardly any food rations; and a lack of everyday luxuries such as a torch or even toilet paper.  If this open boat voyage is successful, it will be the first time anyone has completed the same course as Bligh, in the exact same way he did.
The Captain of the Talisker Bounty Boat, veteran Australian adventurer and sailor, Don McIntyre, has carefully selected his crew from countries around the world to embark on the voyage with him. Alongside Don is Australian master mariner and naval architect, Dave Pryce; experienced Hong Kong based English sailor, David Wilkinson; and young Brit, Chris Wilde, who was selected from a global competition to find a successor for Mike Perham, who had to withdraw unexpectedly.

Not content with just taking on this huge challenge, McIntyre and the crew are also attempting to raise over $250,000 for The Sheffield Institute Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease (SIF), which is building the world’s first research Institute into Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

McIntyre does not underestimate the challenge ahead: “We’re incredibly excited to start the Expedition today and feel close to the experience of Captain Bligh and his crew; however everyone aboard the Talisker Bounty Boat will be pushed to the limit of endurance and survival, forever hungry and unsure of everything, except their own desire to fight through this.”

The voyage is sponsored by Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky, the only single malt whisky from the Isle of Skye which is also the origin of Don McIntyre’s ancestry. His grandparents emigrated to Australia from Skye shortly after their marriage in 1901.

Setting sail for the start line

Saturday 24th April 2010

The TBB crew have started their epic voyage with a week long trip just to get to the starting point of the mutiny re-creation.

Don, David, Chris and Quilter (yes… that’s Dave Pryce) have nestled in nicely to their own respective alcoves onboard and Talisker Bounty Boat is making good progress.

The guys anchored off Pangaimotu Island, near the mighty support yacht Ianthe, and enjoyed a last supper and some snowboarding (well… on the telly of the local eatery) before the big ocean beckons.

TBB heads for Falifisia Island tomorrow and that will surely hold some stunning images, as it is renowned for being one of the World’s most beautiful islands!

Check back regularly for the Talisker Bounty Boat’s progress…

First Talisker Bounty Boat Audio Blog

Friday 23rd April 2010

First Audio Blog from Don

The Kingdom of Tonga Farewells the “Mutiny on the Bounty” Crew

Apr 19th, 2010 by Tonga Visitors Bureau

Photos are © copyright of Sibylla MacDonald and the Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism). Please do not reproduce without permission

The Kingdom of Tonga threw a fitting farewell for the crew of the Talisker Bounty Boat 2010 Expedition at the Touliki Navy Base this morning, Monday 19th April 2010.

The ceremony was hosted the Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism) and was attended by the Hon Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele; other Cabinet Ministers; Hon Tu’iha’angana, Governor of Ha’apai; Noble representatives; People’s Representatives; Reverend Dr Tevita Koloamatangi, Chaplain for Seafarers Mission; HE Dr Bruce Hunt, High Commissioner of Australia; Kayzad Namdarian, Second Secretary Australian High Commission Kingdom of Tonga; HE Ms Christine Bogle, High Commissioner of New Zealand; HE Mr Yasuo Takase, the Japanese Ambassador; other government officials and members from the Tonga Navy and Army; Setaleki Iloa, claimed descendant of Captain William Bligh; Peni Kaihau, the Acting Marketing Manager for the Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC); Roger Miller, Nuku’alofa Fishing Club; Mark Belvedere, Kalia Foundation and Eueiki Island Eco Resort, and ‘Aleki Ulukau and Feleti Hafoka, who helped carry the Talisker Bounty Boat from the containership to Tongan waters.

Mr Sakopo Lolohea, CEO of the Ministry of Tourism, gave the opening address. He said “I welcome you to the Touliki Navy Base for the Tongan launch and farewell of the Talisker Bounty Boat Expedition”.

Don McIntyre, Captain of the Talisker Bounty Boat 2010 Expedition, said that “the first time Chris [Wilde] got into a boat was when he got into a boat to go to ‘Atata Island”, which is offshore from Tongatapu and home to Royal Sunset Resort. Now, Wilde is getting used to being on the Talisker Bounty Boat and everything is going well.

McIntyre commented that (after spending only one week in Tonga) “we have all been touched by what a magic place Tonga is. The people are very friendly, and they have extended to us their hospitality and warmth”. He also added “Tonga is different to Fiji, Hawaii and other Pacific islands. It is totally unique. It is beautiful. And we will all be back.”

Hon Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele, in his farewell speech emphasised to the guests the importance to the Kingdom of Tonga of Don McIntyre and his crew’s replica voyage of Captain William Bligh. He also noted that His Majesty King George Tupou V recognised the importance of this historical event and had granted the crew a rare audience on Friday 16 April, 2010.

The Hon Prime Minister then gave an overview of Don McIntyre’s impressive record. In 1990, Don completed the BOC Challenge, a single handed around the world yacht race. Don also embarked on a number of Antarctic expeditions, including one expedition in 1995 where he lived with his wife on a 2.4m X 3.6m boat for a year that was chained to rocks at Cape Dennison (the site of Sir Douglas Mawson’s Hut and an area called the Home of the Blizzard). Don, and his wife Margie, were awarded an Australian Geographic Society silver medal for the Spirit of Adventure in 1993 and an Australian Geographic Society’s gold medal for the Adventurers of the Year in 1996. The Hon Prime Minister noted that these achievements are testament to the “stamina and strength of Don as a man”. The Prime Minister turned to the crew and said “You sail today with our blessings, with our hopes and our good wishes!” He closed his speech by telling the crew that “you are always welcome back”.

A dance troupe and musicians from the Tonga National Cultural Centre entertained guests with Tongan Tau’olunga (dancing).

Captain Don McIntyre were presented with a protective whale bone necklace and traditional whale bone fishing lures, made by Tonga’s renown carver, Sitiveni Fehoko.

Reverend Dr Tevita Koloamatangi, Chaplain for Seafarers Mission, said a Commission prayer, which asked God to protect the crew of Talisker Bounty Boat and ensure for them a safe journey.

Tonga’s legendary Billfish Bar & Grill provided lunch and refreshments, whilst the crowd took the chance to check out the Talisker Bounty Boat. The Hon Prime Minister climbed on board to check out the 25ft long, 7ft wide, open wooden vessel where the crew will attempt to relive Bligh’s nightmare by sailing the same voyage under similar conditions with no charts, no extra landings, no toilet paper and not enough food or water.

The crew said goodbye and rowed out of the Touliki Navy Base, before letting out the sail of the Talisker Bounty Boat.

The crew will soon set off to the exact location that the mutiny occurred and where Captain William Bligh was forcibly removed from the Bounty – near Tofua in Ha’apai. The crew hopes to visit the cave that Bligh and his men sheltered in while on the Tofua Island.

On April 28, the crew will being their replica Expedition of Captain William Bligh’s 3,700 mile open boat ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ voyage. The reenactment, following the journey across the Pacific from Ha’apai in the Kingdom of Tonga to Timor, will launch on the same day, at the same time and in the same place 221 years after the original mutiny journey.

The Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism) and the Tonga tourism community are sponsors of the historic expedition.

The “Mutiny on the Bounty” Crew Meet His Majesty King George Tupou V

Apr 16th, 2010 by Tonga Visitors Bureau

Photos are © copyright of Sibylla MacDonald and the Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism). Please do not reproduce without permission

The crew of the Talisker Bounty Boat 2010 Expedition met with His Majesty King George Tupou V at the Villa today, Friday 16 April, 2010.

You will be able to see the meeting in their upcoming four to six part documentary series about their mission to re-create Captain William Bligh’s 3,700 mile open boat ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ voyage. The reenactment, following the journey across the Pacific from Ha’apai in the Kingdom of Tonga to Timor, will launch on 28 April – on the same day, at the same time and in the same place 221 years after the original mutiny journey.

The Hon Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele, will attend the farewell of the crew on Monday 19 April at Touliki Naval Base in Nuku’alofa.

The Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism) and the Tonga tourism community are sponsors of the historic expedition.

The Talisker Bounty Boat is now in Tongan Waters

Apr 15th, 2010 by Tonga Visitors Bureau

Photos are © copyright of Sibylla MacDonald and the Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism). Please do not reproduce without permission

The crew of the Talisker Bounty Boat 2010 Expedition today faced the challenge of getting their 25ft long, 7ft wide, open wooden vessel from the containership to the water. Given the crane was unavailable, some Tongan ingenuity was required.

Mark Belvedere, from the Kalia Foundation and Eueiki Island Eco Resort in Vava’u, and Sitiveni Fehoko, Tonga’s renown traditional carver and artisan, came to the rescue with their dedicated boat building crew. Mark Belvedere, Sitiveni Fehoko, Paula Tonga, Timote Maamaloa, ‘Aleki Ulukau, Feleti Hafoka, Naipa Kaumavae, Fili Piuleini, Sione Ma’ake Kaufusi (from the Tonga Visitors Bureau) worked with Don McIntyre, David Wilkinson, Christopher Wilde and Stuart Kershaw to get the Talisker Bounty Boat safely into Tongan waters.

The men lifted the boat out of the container ship and used rows of tyres to protect the Talisker Bounty Boat as they transported it into Tongan waters. Heavy tropical rain added an element of danger to the exercise, with a few people falling along the way on the slippery ramp. Almost as soon as the Talisker Bounty Boat was safely in the water, the sun come out and the rain stopped.

Sitiveni Fehoko, Tonga’s famous carver and artisan, informed Don McIntyre that he would be delighted to make traditional Tongan lures for the crew.

The crew loaded up the Talisker Bounty Boat with the detachables such as the anchor and sails. Lisala Folau, from Royal Sunset Resort, then towed the Talisker Bounty Boat from Nuku’alofa to his resort on ‘Atata Island (offshore from Tongatapu). There, Don McIntyre and his crew will set up the boat.

Tomorrow, on Friday 16 April, the crew will meet HM King George Tupou. On Monday 19 April, the crew will bid farewell to the Kingdom of Tonga at Touliki Naval Base in Nuku’alofa. The Hon Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele, has confirmed his attendance at the farewell. After the farewell, the crew will make their way to Tofoa, a volcanic island in the Ha’apai group.

On April 28, Don McIntyre will begin his replica of Captain William Bligh’s 3,700 mile open boat ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ voyage. The reenactment, following the journey across the Pacific from Ha’apai in the Kingdom of Tonga to Timor, will launch on the same day, at the same time and in the same place 221 years after the original mutiny journey.

The Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism) and the Tonga tourism community are sponsors of the historic expedition.

The Mutiny on the Bounty Crew meet the Tongan Prime Minister

Apr 15th, 2010 by Tonga Visitors Bureau

Photos are © copyright of Sibylla MacDonald and the Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism). Please do not reproduce without permission

On Wednesday 14 April, the crew of the Talikser Bounty Boat 2010 Expedition met with the Hon Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele.

Don McIntyre informed the Prime Minister about his mission to re-create Captain William Bligh’s 3,700 mile open boat ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ voyage. The reenactment, following the journey across the Pacific from Ha’apai in the Kingdom of Tonga to Timor, will launch on 28 April – on the same day, at the same time and in the same place 221 years after the original mutiny journey.

During the meeting, the Hon Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele, cemented plans for the crew of the Talisker Bounty Boat 2010 Expedition to meet with His Majesty King George Tupou V on Friday 16 April, 2010.

The Hon Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele, also confirmed he would be delighted to attend their farewell on Monday 19 April at Touliki Naval Base in Nuku’alofa.

Following the meeting, the crew and the Hon Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele, headed off to the Nuku’alofa Fishing Club for a social gathering. The crew then had dinner and some more drinks at the legendary Billfish Bar & Grill and spent some time catching up with some of the locals.

The Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism) and the Tonga tourism community are sponsors of the historic expedition.

The Kingdom of Tonga welcomes the crew of Talisker Bounty Boat

Tonga Ministry of Tourism Media Release – Monday April 12, 2010.

By: Sibylla MacDonald,  Media and Communications Officer (AusAID volunteer),  Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism)

For full article visit: http://www.tongaholiday.com/?p=4480

The crew of the Talisker Bounty Boat 2010 Expedition arrived in the Kingdom of Tonga this morning to prepare for their historic voyage to re-create Captain William Bligh’s 48 day, 4000 mile ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ voyage from the Kingdom of Tonga to Timor. The reenactment, following the journey across the Pacific from the Kingdom of Tonga to Timor, will launch on the same day, at the same time and in the same place 221 years after the original mutiny journey.

Don McIntyre, along with Christopher Wilde, David Wilkinson and Stuart Kershaw, were greeted at Fua’amotu Airport by sponsor Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism). The crew enjoyed a quick tour of the Kingdom of Tonga, were treated to a Tongan feast of local seafood and experienced shopping in the hear t of Nuku’alofa for last minute hardware and food supplies.

The crew Talisker Bounty Boat 2010 Expedition were officially welcomed to the Kingdom of Tonga by Sakopo Lolohea (CEO of the Ministry of Tourism) and Kayzad Namdarian (Second Secretary Australian High Commission, Kingdom of Tonga). The crew were also greeted by Kathy Zischka, an Australian descendant of surgeon Thomas Ledward, and Mark Belvedere, who is currently building a working replica of a traditional Tongan Kalia (a double hulled canoe) and operates a traditional outrigger canoe at Eueiki Island (Treasure Island) Eco Resort in Vava’u. The crew were presented with uCall Mobile SIM cards, hats and pens by Peni Kaihau, the Acting Marketing Manager for the Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC).

Don McIntyre, an Australian, said ”This trip has been a long time in the making. Flying into the Kingdom of Tonga and looking at the blue ocean, I realised it is really all happening now. We were then given the friendliest welcome that you could ever imagine. We knew certainly that we are among friends when we got here.”

McIntyre then joked that “a couple of weeks ago I had my own mutiny and lost two of my crew”, referring to the fact that two of the Talisker crew members pulled out last week citing medical reasons. Mike Perham, who holds the record as the world’s Youngest Solo Circumnavigator, pulled out after having his appendix removed. Perham was replaced last week by 18 year old Christopher Wilde, of Warwick in the UK, who has no boating or sailing experience at all but simply blind passion.

It was in April 1789 that the famous ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ occurred just off the waters of the islands of Ha’apai in the Kingdom of Tonga. The story goes that, whilst in the Pacific, the Bounty crew were attracted to the idyllic life and were angered by the (alleged) cruelty of their commanding officer William Bligh. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian and some of his followers and they tried to get Bligh to sail the Bounty back to Tahiti because they terribly missed their Tahitian mistresses. Bligh did not agree with the mutineers and he insisted they continue sailing to Australia. McIntyre added here that “someone stole the Captain’s coconuts and that cause the Mutiny”.

Fletcher Christian and his followers then cast commanding officer William Bligh and Bligh’s loyal crew adrift in a boat near Tofua Island in Ha’apai in the Kingdom of Tonga. Whilst Fletcher and the mutineers sailed to Pitcairn Island and settled there, Bligh and his men sailed for 48 days and over an epic 4000 nautical miles from Ha’apai in the Kingdom of Tonga to Kupang in Timor in an overloaded boat (traditionally used to lift an anchor) with little food or water and no charts.

McIntyre and the Talisker Bounty Boat crew face the same deprivations as the original crew that were cast adrift in the middle of the Pacific. Using their replica 18th century traditional open timber whale boat, they will relive Bligh’s nightmare by attempting to sail the same voyage under similar conditions with the same amount of food and water. Bligh and his crew only had 150lb of ships biscuits, 16 two pound pieces of Pork, 6 quarts of Rum, 6 Bottles of wine and 28 gallons of water.

The crew told the Tonga Visitors Bureau that they will carry 70g museli bar, 210g baked beans, 90g ship biscuit, 2 liter water, 100g nuts, 75g raisins, 170g beef, 90g ship biscuit per person for 25 days only. They hope to catch fish, gather a supply of fruit, vegetable and coconuts in Tonga (rather than catch and eat birds) and supplement their 28 gallons of water with rain water.

A thin Wilde, who is on a mission to eat as much as possible in the next week in order to bulk up for the mission, is certainly in the right country for that. Not only are Tongans known for their inimitable sense of hospitality and musical talent, they are also known for their girth and love of feasting. McIntyre himself noted he’s purposely put on weight but expects to “loose 16kg by the end of the voyage”, adding “we will look pretty different by the end of it”. McIntyre explained that during their voyage, the crew will monitor their health by “taking blood samples every week and undergoing psych tests”. The latter causing laugher amongst the crew who will need to deal with emotions like fears and anger and use “self awareness and communication to create a stronger team and support each other throughout the difficult times, of which their certainly will be many”.

Will they survive one of the greatest open boat journeys in Maritime History? Their odds are far higher than if they were sufferers of a motor neurone disease. The Talisker Bounty Boat 2010 Expedition are making their journey to raise funds for the Sheffield Institute for Motor Neurone Disease.

McIntyre told the Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism) that his crew plan to set up their a 25ft long, 7ft wide, open wooden vessel at Royal Sunset Resort (offshore from Tongatapu). They hope to have the boat, and their satellite blog that will record their positions automatically onto Google Earth every two hours and replicate Bligh’s meticulous Log, up and running as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Stuart Kershaw, the crews’ expedition cameraman, will be steadfastly working on recording as much about Tonga and its people as possible for a 4-6 part documentary on the Talisker Bounty Boat Expedition. McIntyre expects the first episode to be about when preparations and one episode to start with his arrival in Tonga and finish as he sails away from the Island of Tofua, about five days after the Mutiny took place.

Remaining crew member, David Pryce will arrive in the Kingdom of Tonga on Thursday 15 April.

On Monday 19 April, the crew are scheduled to set sail to Ha’apai. Tonga Visitors Bureau knows the Talisker Bounty Boat Expedition (and travellers) will find that Ha’apai is just as beautiful, quiet and peaceful as it was in 1789. The Ha’apai people still maintain a strong adherence to Tongan culture and to their laid-back island pace to life. The Ha’apai islands are still bountiful with deserted white sandy beaches and pristine clear blue waters excellent for swimming and snorkeling. And magnificent underwater caves and coral reefs adorned with a variety of colored fish and coral species are still waiting for divers!

The Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism) and the Tonga tourism community are sponsors of the historic expedition. In the lead up to the launch on 28 April, the Tonga Visitors Bureau (Ministry of Tourism) will continue to help the crew of the Talisker Bounty Boat 2010 Expedition with logistics and local PR.

The crew of the Talisker Bounty Boat 2010 Expedition will meet with the Kingdom of Tonga’s Prime Minister, Hon Dr Feleti SEVELE, on Wednesday April 14, 2010.

Mike’s appendix operation rules him out of TBB

Mike Perham today announced that due to medical advice following his appendix removal operation recently, he will not be able to crew on the Talisker Bounty Boat

Read Mike’s blog post explaining his current situation.

Pete signs off

American Pete Steir, after careful consideration, thinks the Talisker Bounty Boat voyage is not for him and today signed himself off the crew.

Official Press Release

Australian Adventurer set to re-create the greatest voyage of all time – Captain Bligh’s Mutiny on the Bounty Boat

***PRESS CALL ALERT***PRESS CALL ALERT***PRESS CALL ALERT***

EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 FEBRUARY 25th 2010

WHAT’S THE STORY: One of the greatest Australian adventurers of all time, Don McIntyre, is set to embark on an incredible nautical journey to re-create one of the most extraordinary stories of survival and determination – Captain William Bligh’s 4,000 mile open boat ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ voyage. The reenactment, following the journey across the Pacific from Tonga to Timor, will launch on the same day, at the same time and in the same place 221 years after the original mutiny journey. This Thursday 25th February will be the last time that the Talisker Bounty Boat and its crew will be together on Australian shores, before they head off on their astonishing nautical adventure from Tonga on April 28th. Don McIntyre and his crew will be available to answer all media questions and the Talisker Bounty Boat will be displayed on Darling Harbor for picture opportunities.

This isn’t the first extraordinary adventure that Don has undertaken – you may also remember him as one half of the couple who lived in total isolation in a hut on the windiest point of Antarctica for a year, or as the man who flew solo around Australia in an open cockpit Gyro-copter in 20 days! He is also friend and mentor to young solo sailor Jessica Watson and actually provided her with the boat that she is currently sailing around the world in.

The seven week expedition aboard the Talisker Bounty Boat – a 25ft long, 7ft wide, open wooden vessel – will see the crew -facing the same deprivations as the original crew that were cast adrift in the middle of the Pacific, including: no navigation charts; only two weeks of water; hardly any food; and, of course, no luxuries like a torch or toilet paper!

Not content with just taking on this huge challenge, McIntyre and his crew of 3 men are also attempting to raise over $250,000 for The Sheffield Institute Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease (SIF) which is building the world’s first research Institute into Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

WHERE: The main function room of the National Maritime Museum, Murray Street, Darling Harbour, NSW 2000.

WHEN: Thursday 25th February at 10am – 11am

MORE INFORMATION: Alongside Don McIntyre, one of Australia’s most experienced sailors and adventurers, the international crew includes experienced English sailor David Wilkinson, US sailor and businessman Peter Stier and the youngest ever Solo circumnavigator, 17 year old Brit Mike Perham. The crew met together for the first time a little over two months ago and have spent the last two weeks together in Sydney, training and making last minute preparations for the journey, a journey that has been Don’s dream to complete for 20 years.

WEBSITE: www.taliskerbountyboat.com

CONTACT: Emily Dwiar – (+61) 29281 0004, 0450 1199 35 emilyd@splendidcomms.com

Official Press Release

Talisker® announces sponsorship of the ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ recreation expedition as Australian Captain Don McIntyre returns to his roots on Skye

Monday 17th November 2009, Isle of Skye, Scotland: Talisker, the famous single malt whisky distilled on the Isle of Skye today announces its sponsorship of an epic sailing adventure which will be the first to recreate the exact journey of Captain William Bligh’s epic 4,000-mile open boat ‘Mutiny on the Bounty ’voyage. Led by Australian adventurer Don McIntyre and a crew of three, the reenactment will follow the journey across the Pacific from Tonga to Timor and aims to raise vital funds and awareness for the world’s first international research centre into Motor Neurone Disease, currently being built by the Sheffield Institute Foundation.

McIntyre returned to his roots and the roots of Talisker on the Isle of Skye to trace his Scottish ancestry, and hold a Clan reunion at the famous Talisker Distillery. His grandparents Thomas and Mary McIntyre emigrated to Australia shortly after their marriage in 1901 and this was Don’s first visit to the island and Scotland. The 54 year-old adventurer, who successfully sailed single-handed around the world in 1992 and has led a series of expeditions down to Antarctica, brought with him the 25ft replica of the Bounty Boat to give his fellow McIntyres an insight into the extraordinary fight for survival that Captain Bligh and his crew faced following the infamous mutiny on HMS Bounty led by Fletcher Christian.

McIntyre and his three-man crew will face the same deprivations as the original Bounty Boat crew, with little food, no charts or toilet paper and only the limited navigation implements that were available to Bligh. They will start the adventure on the same day, at the same time and in the same place 221 years after the original mutiny journey.

Fiona McIntyre, Talisker distillery employee, said: “As a McIntrye myself and employee at the distillery, it was a proud moment for Talisker to announce our sponsorship of this wonderful adventure and welcome Don to the Isle of Skye to meet his fellow McIntyres. It’s amazing to think that Don and the crew will sail thousands of miles in the very open boat he has brought to the island and we’ll be supporting them every step of the way.”

Don McIntrye, adventurer, said: “I am bowled over by the warm welcome I have received on the Isle of Skye. It has been like coming home, and to have met so many of my namesakes has been fantastic. I am also surprised by the number of people on the Island who have had a direct experience of Motor Nurone Disease. It is a fatal disease that we know far too little about. I hope that this voyage will raise far greater awareness and fund vital work by The Sheffield Institute Foundation to find a cure.”

Steve Wood, global marketing manager for Talisker, Diageo, said: “This is an incredibly exciting adventure for Talisker to sponsor and we are urging people to support the expedition by visiting www.taliskerbountyboat.com. Not only will we be a part of sailing history but the expedition will also raise vital funds for research into Motor Neurone Disease through the Sheffield Institute Foundation. Talisker is the only malt whisky made on the Isle of Skye and has a strong affinity with the sea.”

Official Press Release

Australian adventurer Don McIntyre and teenage circumnavigator Mike Perham to re-enact Capt William Bligh’s epic mutiny on the Bounty open boat voyage.

Dateline: Tuesday 8th September 2009

LONDON: Australian adventurer and solo round the world sailor, Don McIntyre announced today that Mike Perham, the world’s youngest solo circumnavigator, has signed up as Second-in-command for the 2010 Talisker Bounty Boat Expedition. This is a 4,000-mile re-enactment 221 years after Capt William Bligh and his supporting crew were forced into an open-boat by the mutineering crew on HMS Bounty and successfully sailed from Tonga to Timor in the Pacific.

McIntyre and Perham will face the same deprivations, with little food, no charts or toilet paper and only the limited navigation implements that were available to Bligh.

The search is now on for two extra crew to join this expedition, which has a serious scientific purpose, as well as raise money for MND research. This opportunity of a lifetime to re-create history will cost each individual £10,000 to participate. Only those with an extreme sense of adventure need apply.

The Route

McIntyre and Perham: will follow in the footsteps of Capt. William Bligh when cast adrift from HMS Bounty in the Pacific on April 28, 1789. This McIntyre and his 3-man crew will board their 25ft ‘Talisker Bounty Boat’ in the same position exactly 221 years to the day of the Bounty Mutiny and follow in the footsteps of Bligh. They will first sail to Tonga to find extra food and water, before heading westwards across the top of Fiji and the Vanuatu Island groups, bound for the Queensland Coast, Australia to land, like Bligh, on Restoration Island. They will then sail north inside the Great Barrier Reef to Thursday Island, and then through the Torres Strait to Kupang and Timor.

If successful, this will be the first time that anyone has sailed the same course in the same way that Bligh did. Previous attempts in 1983 and 1990 both used almanacs and charts for navigation, torches, modern timepieces, and also made unscheduled stopovers, did not follow the same route or were escorted part of the way. McIntyre and Perham will have no charts, no almanacs, modern timepieces or navigation equipment, torches, or toilet paper.

A GPS tracking system: locked away from the crew, will track McIntyre and Perham’s every 2 hours for the outside world to follow. The only other concession to the 21st Century will be a liferaft and other essential safety equipment, together with a satellite computer link for the 4-man crew to send daily blogs, photos and audio clips to tell their story and for psychologists and oceanographic scientists to monitor their progress and findings.

The gear that McIntyre and crew will rely on

Navigation equipment

18th century octant and sextant, two 18th century pocket watches, nautical tables, boat compass, telescope, rope knot meter, lead line, ink pens and ink, note books, log book, magnifying glass. No charts allowed, no modern watches, no nautical almanac, and no compass light.

Clothing and personal kit – each crew

Sun hat, warm hat, expedition shirt, expedition long pants, tough shorts, thermal top, thermal pants, waterproof shoes, Gore-tex weather jacket and pants, sheep skin, inflatable life-jacket/ safety harness with knife torch and strobe, 406-GPS POB.

No torches, no iPod no books

Talisker Bounty Boat will set off with the same weight of food and water that Bligh had when he was cast adrift from the Bounty.

Talisker Bounty Boat details

Construction: Traditional lap strake/clinker

Length overall: 25ft (7.62m)

Beam 6.3ft (1.92m)

Load displacement with 4 crew: 1.6 Tonnes

Visit the Talisker Bounty Boat at the Southampton Boat Show

The Talisker Bounty Boat will be a special feature at the Southampton Boat Show (September 11-20). Don McIntyre and the Talisker Bounty Boat team will be on hand to answer all your questions – Why not pop down and visit us.

Media Release

Mike Perham, the world’s youngest solo circumnavigator and Australian adventurer Don McIntyre announce plans to re-enact Capt William Bligh’s epic mutiny on the Bounty open boat voyage.

ALL MEDIA – THIS Press Alert IS EMBARGOED Till 11am UTC on The 8th SEPT 2009..THANKYOU

LONDON: Australian adventurer and solo round the world sailor Don McIntyre announces that Mike Perham has signed up as Second-in-command for the 2010 Talisker Bounty Boat Expedition. This is a 4000 mile re-enactment 221 years after Capt William Bligh and his supporting crew were forced into an open whale-boat by the mutineering crew on HMS Bounty and successfully sailed from Tonga to Timor in the Pacific. McIntyre and Perham will face the same deprivations, with little food, no charts or toilet paper and only the limited navigation implements that were available to Bligh. The search begins for two extra crew to join this expedition, which has a serious scientific purpose, as well as raise money for MND research.

WHAT: Launch of Talisker Bounty Boat, Mike Perham’s next adventure, Sheffield Institute Foundation fundraising for MND research.

WHERE: THE DICKENS INN St Katharine Dock (near to Tower Bridge) London

WHEN: 11am Tuesday 8th Sept 2009

WHO:

* Don McIntyre , 54 year old. Australian Antarctic Adventurer and Solo Circumnavigator.

* Mike Perham, 17 year old, Record breaking Solo Circumnavigator.

* Irene Beard, Director of the Sheffield Institute Foundation.

Meet Don at the Sydney International Boat Show [18th Jun 09]

Just a little heads up – Don McIntyre will be at the Sydney International Boat Show, July 30th to August 3rd where he will be giving two talks every day about the Bounty Boat Expedition and you may even find him at the show on Jessica Watson’s S&S34 “Pink Lady” – (see www.youngestround.com) as Don is one of her many supporters.

Official Launch of the expedition in England, Sept [18th Jun 09]

We are planning to have the official launch of the Bounty Boat Expedition in England in early September, shortly before exhibiting BB at the Southampton Boat Show – don’t forget Captain Bligh was an Englishman! More news to follow in the next few weeks with some very exciting developments

Bounty Boat to support SIF charity [18th Jun 09]

Over the past month, we have been working together with the team at SIF (the Sheffield Institute Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease) looking into ways that we may be able to assist them with a major fundraising plan to help this very valuable organization. Full announcements will be made here soon along with a revamp of the website

Chris Bray steps off Bounty Boat A notification of this news item was emailed to subscribers. Click to subscribe! [18th Jun 09]

After much deliberation, I have made the tricky decision to stand aside – Don and three as-yet unknown crew members will sail Bounty Boat without me. Unfortunately, a host of surfacing reasons including differing priorities and schedules, and my own personal financial situation (or lack of!!!) has pressured me into finding money rather than spending it. So I’m going to take a step back from this expedition, and watch it all unfold here on the website next year, from the comfort and well-fed

confines of my own home! I still have a lot to squeeze out of my recent arctic expedition, finish writing the book, making the doco, more corporate speaking and so on, a new photography business, and not to mention having my own little yacht now (thanks to Don) to think about over in Canada!

It’s going to be a cracker of an adventure, and I wish Don and the three-unknowns all the very best of luck, weather, fish and rain (to drink) on their epic journey.

Thanks Don, for the ride to this point – as always, you and Margie are an inspiration to be around.

Cheerio!

Chris

www.ChrisBray.net

12 MONTH DELAY – BB now sails on APRIL 28 2010. Click to subscribe! [27th Jan 09]

Whilst there will be only four crew sailing Bounty Boat across the Pacific, our most important Expedition Team member is Margie (Ted) who will be manning Expedition Headquarters in Hobart for the duration of the voyage, updating the web page and heading up our Media/Crisis Management Team. Over the past two years Margie & I have been working towards an April 2009 Departure date, with everything on track, but on Feb 5th Ted is off to Hospital for a back operation which will require many months of recovery. The fun was due to start at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival on Feb 6th and Margie is an integral part of all our plans right through to the end of June. With our most important team member out of action for six months, we have decided to postpone the start of the voyage one year. We will now be setting off on the 221st Anniversary of Bligh’s epic voyage on April 28th 2010.

The new schedule will allow the search for two extra crew to continue in Australia, England and America, with the final selection now being made in the last Quarter of 2009, following some interesting pre-selection trials. This will now become part of the storyline for the Bounty Boat Documentary. The schools Program will be greatly enhanced with the longer lead time as will sponsor opportunities.

If you would like to register for monthly updates you can now do so by subscribing to our newsletters! We have some interesting plans coming up and registering will be the best way to keep up with them. It may even include opportunities for you to come for a short sail on Bounty Boat.

Don McIntyre

Ships Biscuits! [8th Nov 08]

Well today we visited the friendly baker who’d generously agreed to bake our ships biscuits for the trip! So Don heaved in the 25kg sack of mill-ground wholemeal flower and some salt, and we stood back as the baker worked his magic (ie added water) and put them in his epic bakers oven. We ate custard tarts for 30 minutes (dangerous place to kill time – in a bakery!) while the bickies cooked, and before we knew it we stood amiring a sample 2kg stack of 25 genuine 1800’s ships biscuits – just like Bligh had. They smelt fantastic, and I was tempted to chow down into one then and there, but apprently the recipe says to air dry for 7 days, and then store for 6 months before eating – after that, they last virtually forever! (like, seriously, years and years apparently). So stay tuned to hear how they go! Looking at them drying now though, I see problems. They are not exactly the same size as each other. And if I was holding that runty one there, and Don got that monster one, and I had been hungry for weeks… Perhaps we should look at getting a ruler out and measuring each one to the mm before cutting and baking? =)Just sorting out some of the final electrics, cameras, etc etc… it’s all coming together! Getting pretty excited!

Wanted: Two blokes for the adventure of a lifetime [16th Oct 08]

Herald/Age Article – Reporter Keelie Cranborne Essential requirements include a sense of humor, an ability to live off meagre rations, can do without toilet paper for more than 40 days and the desire to push yourself to your limits. Cost: $20,000. Apply to Don McIntyre & Chris Bray, Australian adventurers. For McIntyre, who calls Antarctica home and has raced solo around-the-world, this latest voyage is the culmination of years of research and the chance to recreate what he considers one of the most epic sea voyages of all time – the desperate 3600 nautical mile escape from Tonga to Timor in a 23ft open timber long boat by Captain William Bligh and 18 of the men who were part of that famous mutiny.

April 28, 2009 is the 220th anniversary of the voyage and the day McIntyre, his ‘first mate’, 2004 Australian Young Adventurer of the Year and 2008 ‘Spirit of Adventure’ medalist Chris Bray, and the two successful applicants will push off from Tonga hoping to make it to Timor about 40 days later.

“This is the most exciting adventure I have done, because it is so multi dimensional,” McIntyre says.

“I am really relaxed with the sea, so that part doesn’t worry me at all, but to be in a little, open boat, and know that there are so many things that can and will happen is what excites me.

“The human dynamics will be as big as the voyage itself and what happens on the boat is the real story.”

And although technology and boat building has advanced astronomically in the 220 years since Bligh made the trip, McIntrye is adamant that this will be a faithful recreation of that journey.

“Of course we have a few advantages over Bligh, but the whole point of this adventure is to live Bligh’s experience and do things exactly the same,” he says.

The boat has already been built. It is not an exact replica of Bligh’s boat, but actually one that was built to the specifications of the” James Caird”, used in another great sea voyage – that completed by George Shackleton when he sailed through some of the worst seas in the world to South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic Ocean.

“I saw an ad in a paper in Hobart for a Whale boat for sale – a 25ft boat that had been built for an expedition that failed due to a capsize and loosing all their equipment.” he says.

“I bought it and then had it rebuilt the way I wanted it for this voyage. It took about a year, but now it has a similar rig to the one Bligh used. It is about a third of the volume of the original Bligh boat, but he had a crew of 18. It is a lot lighter so even with four in it, it will be low in the water.

“It is still built on the 1800s whale boat concept, traditionally, with oars and a sailing rig.”

As well as a traditional whale boat, McIntyre says the entire voyage will be recreated as faithfully as possible to Bligh’s. That means no charts, no modern navigational equipment, no stove, torches, no beds, no toilet paper. Even down to the rationed food, including the unappetising ships’ biscuits with which the original crew had to try to survive.

“We are only going to take what Bligh had in weight. That includes 152lbs of ships’ biscuits, 32lb of salted pork, 28 gallons of water. I have calculated that we will have about 800g of food per day, which is enough to last us about 25-26 days,” McIntyre says.

“But we could be out there for up to 40 days so we have to figure out how to ration these supplies as well. When we get to Tonga we can load up with any local stuff there, like Bligh did – Coconuts, fruit and vegetables. Then we sail through the Northern Fiji islands and the northern islands of Vanuatu, but like Bligh we won’t be landing, because of unfriendly natives. Then its through the top of the Coral Sea to Restitution Island where Bligh stopped for berries, fish, oysters.

“And like Bligh, if we do manage to catch a fish on the boat the first thing we have to eat is its guts and eyes and then the flesh. But remember we will also have no stove to cook it on.

“We are in the process now of making the ships’ biscuits. They’re just flour, water and salt, which are baked and left to dry for six months so they end up like ceramic plates and can last up to 20 years.

“Bligh did manage to catch some sea birds, but we won’t be doing that. What we will take is nine special rations and break them open on the same days that Bligh caught the birds.

“He also had six bottles of rum and wine and even though I don’t drink we will take that. We will have a spoonful of rum every now and then. It’s all part of the story and the experience.”

For the past 12 months McIntrye has also been sourcing from around the world traditional sextants and an octant through eBay, as well as two 180-year-old pocket watches – the only thing on which the crew will be able to judge the time for navigation purposes.

“I finally found a 150-year-old octant, the same that Bligh used, which is in mint condition, made out of ebony and ivory, very exciting” he says.

“The only chart we will have on board is one covering half the world from the Pacific to the Indian ocean, that will show us the track that Bligh took. We have no almanac so can only work out the latitude and will use a piece of wood and rope with Knots in it to give us speed , helping us to estimate our longitude by dead reckoning as Bligh did.. There will be a lot of navigating by the stars.”

Although there are some people who would criticise McIntyre for being fool hardy and putting not just himself but those who go with him at risk, he is adamant that this adventure, like the others he has done over the past 25 years, including a world first Gyro-copter flight around Australia last year, has been planned down to the last detail.

“The first thing we have done is to make sure we have minimised the risk. I’m not planning on being rescued,” he says.

“Of course this has its risks, but we are capable and have all the modern safety equipment – distress beacons, life vest and raft. We will have a satellite phone to talk to Margie (his wife) everyday to give our updates for the Web site www.BountyBoat.com , but it is a one way conversation, so Margie can’t tell us anything about weather forecasts or what’s happening on the cricket so we maintain our sense of isolation. We will have a satellite tracking device that locks on to Google Earth so people can track us 24 hours a day.

“The big wild card is that with global warming cyclones are coming at different times than when Bligh set off, so we may run the risk of a late cyclone, but we have plans and tactics in place if that happens.

“I have a simple philosophy that if I ever have to be rescued, I need to be able to look my rescuer in the eye and say I have done everything I could to make sure I didn’t need to be rescued and also minimise any search. Some of the greatest adventurers in the world are in the ranks of the rescue services, which is partly why they do it, and I respect every one of them, so give them the respect they deserve through careful planning and minimising risk.

” Every person in the world is a hunter gatherer, but we don’t hunt anymore, we go to the supermarket and miss the adrenalin rush. Adventure can bring that back.

“Adventure is part of the human spirit , nations were created from it, so to push ourselves beyond the normal boundaries is something I wish a lot more people would do, then society could be a better place. Liability is killing our society and wrapping our kids in cotton wool is sending them to drink, drugs, and smoking. Life should be the only drug!

“It’s those young people who take risks and understand responsible risk taking who can grow into community leaders , small business people, entrepreneurs and corporate executives. It’s amazing how many corporate executives had their adventures in the Scouting movement.

McIntyre says he’s not looking for sailing or adventure experts to join him in April.

“I’m looking for someone who can look after themself, and who is content within themself,” he says.

“They need to have done something on their own , like trekking, boating or camping and I have to know that when it does get tough and grim they will have a degree of confidence.

“The crew that Bligh had were all ages and occupations and that is what will make this journey so unique.

“I have plenty of mates busting to come with me, but I am adamant that I want to do this will people I don’t know.”

Website Under Construction! [16th Oct 08]

Well at last we have our web site semi up and running! www.BountyBoat.com – Over the coming weeks we’ll be adding all sorts of goodies to the site, heaps more photos, info, videos and so on! We’re going to add a forum also, so you can put in your 2c worth about the expedition! Can’t wait for this trip – it’s going to be awesome!