RALEIGH, N.C. – A U.S. Coast Guard investigation faults the captain and management of a replica 18th-century ship for sailing into Hurricane Sandy in poor conditions and with an inexperienced crew.
The ship sank off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in October 2012. One crewmember died and Capt. Robin Walbridge was lost at sea and is presumed dead.
The report released Thursday says the HMS Bounty Organization chose to meet only the minimum standards of a recreational vessel, not tougher requirements of a passenger craft. The report recommends that Coast Guard leadership review policy on the staffing and operation of such show vessels.
The three-mast ship was built for the 1962 film "Mutiny on the Bounty" starring Marlon Brando. The ship also appeared in one of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.
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