The MaineSail Journal
Tall Ship HMS Bounty Haul Out
By Doug Mills
It's not often that great moments
happen on such a beautiful day and even more rare when you have a
front row seat. Today the tall ship HMS Bounty, star of many movies, was brought ashore in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.
Tucked away on a quaint winding
street lined with small shops is the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard. Today
it is the host to one of the worlds most famous and beloved tall
ships, the HMS Bounty. For fifty two years the Bounty has thrilled
young and old, staring in “Mutiny on the Bounty”, “Pirates of
the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest' and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At
Worlds End” as well as in person around the world. This is
Bounty's third visit to the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard in her lifetime.
The haul out is scheduled for
11:00Am. We arrive at the shipyard a little after 10:00Am to find
the Bounty Tied up at the dock ready for her big day. Just after 11
the cradle starts to move out toward the Bounty. It is no small task
to haul a 180' 400 ton ship out of the water. Two hours of pushing,
pulling, checking alignment and pushing and pulling some more, before
the Bounty is ready for her journey to dry land.
It is after 1:00pm before the
railway starts to move slowly toward the land. If you have not seen
a ship of this size hauled out there is no was to describe the
feeling as she comes out of the water. I have seen many a historic
boat hauled out, but the Bounty is by far the largest. There was a
cheer and applause as the railway came to a stop and Bounty was
safely on dry land.
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