Aboard the HMS Bounty

I am so excited, since I recently got the chance to see the ship "" "Bounty," a replica of an old British ship that used to voyage around the world over two hundred years ago. 

The ship was built in 1960 for the film Mutiny on Bounty (1962), starring Marlon Brando. Although a replica of the original ship, it was actually built one third larger than the original, to make room for camera crews and allow easier movement around the ship. The ship towered dramatically into sky, dwarfing people, cars, and even buildings.

FilmPoster from the 
Turner Classic Movies database.

 The Bounty was en route to Baltimore for the Star-Spangled Sailabration, a cheesy name for a fantastic concept: hoards of modern and historical ships, especially classic tall ships, converged on Baltimore from June 13 - 19 as part of the Bicentennial Celebration of the War of 1812. After all, Francis Scott Key penned the Star Spangled Banner while on a ship in the Baltimore Harbor overlooking Fort McHenry. Though personally, I feel the most poignant facet of the War of 1812 was the many American slaves who escaped to the British and then fought against their slaveholders in pursuit of freedom. But that's off topic...

I got to take a tour on board the ship, and walk along the wooden decks, touch the ropes, see the huge wooden ship's wheel (which they still use to steer the ship) and talk to one of the Royal Marines who would have guarded "the captain, the crew, and the rum" in the old days. Yum!

We even got a picture with a pirate, who looked like Jack Sparrow would 20 years from now. My mother whispered in my ear, "I don't want to get my picture taken with him, he's creepy!" I tried to explain that was just the typical pirate vibe, but, oh well. We ended up with a pretty fun photo, which I would love to post, but that would ruin GipsieGirl's enigma, now, wouldn't it?

Take a look at the Bounty's website, which includes a map tracking the ship's current location, piratical portraits, and a fascinating  blog on the Bounty's history and purpose.

All in all, not a bad way to spend an afternoon. I've got the nautical bug now. Or rather, the wind-in-my-hair-planks-under-me-feet-ahoy-me-hearties bug!

If you still have a need for more swashbuckling, I highly recommend some fantastic classic films that basically started the whole genre in the 1940s. The Sea Hawk (1940), starring Errol Flynn, is one of my favorite films of all time, due to the lifesize ships, constant adventure, and Flynn's charismatic Captain Geoffery Thorpe. It also includes a performance by Mary Robson as Queen Elizabeth, and she creates one of the coolest images of the queen you'll ever see. Two full-size tall ships were constructed for the film, and they are magnificent.

Also, I am a huge fan of The Black Swan (1942), starring the handsome Tyrone Power and my favorite actress, Maureen O'Hara. The film includes gorgeous costumes, exotic locales very reminiscent (or should I say, influential?) of Pirates of the Caribbean, and the most exciting sword fight I have ever seen on film. Ever.

One of the best things to keep in mind when watching these films is that, while they had clever special effects, they had no computer imagery back then. All of the stunts you see are real.