New London Tube: Bounty's Last Departure

The news that the HMS Bounty had been lost in Hurricane Sandy was met with a good deal of shock in New London. This city was the Bounty's last port of call, and people who had taken photos of videos of the vessel only days before now realized that they had captured some of the last images of the tall ship.

This recently posted video, shot from a mobile phone, captures some of that excitement over the ship's visit to New London. The woman shooting the footage narrates how the majestic vessel is heading down the Thames in the twilight of Oct. 25, a passing ferry and Electric Boat's facility in Groton in the background.

The ship was in New London for two days, with crew members meeting with members of the USS Mississippi, a Virginia-class submarine assigned to Sub Base New London. Four days after its departure, while en route to St. Petersburg, Fla., the Bounty sank off North Carolina in rough seas generated by Hurricane Sandy. Fourteen crew members were airlifted to safety by the Coast Guard. Claudene Christian, 42, was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead. The Bounty's 63-year-old captain, Robin Walbridge, was presumed deceased after the Coast Guard suspended its search for him.

Last month's visit wasn't the first time the Bounty has been in New London. The 180-foot vessel, featured in the films "Mutiny on the Bounty" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," visited here several times in the 1990s.

The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the accident. The Bounty has set up a relief organization for the survivors and the families of Christian and Walbridge, and donations may be made at the ship's website or via PayPal by e-mailing HMSBounty2012@yahoo.com.

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