HMS Bounty by John Steven Dews

(from artnet.com)

The famed HMS Bounty is the subject of this monumental oil on canvas by accomplished marine painter John Steven Dews. The small merchant vessel of the Royal Navy was made famous in 1789 when its disaffected crew mutinied while at sea. With his incomparable eye for detail, Dews captures the drama of this historic moment in this extraordinary composition.

The mutiny of the HMS Bounty occurred in the waters of the South Pacific outside of Tahiti on April 28, 1789. The ship was acquired by the Royal Navy in order to transport plants from Tahiti to the West Indies on an expedition promoted by the Royal Society. Command of the journey had been given to Lieutenant William Bligh, an oppressive leader who was known as a harsh and cruel taskmaster. The crew arrived in Tahiti in October of 1788 and enjoyed an idyllic stay for months on the island. Perhaps the hospitality of the Tahitians only served to highlight the harshness of life at sea and the tyrannical nature of their commander - just 24 days after departing Tahiti, the crewmen seized the ship and set Captain Bligh adrift with 18 of his loyal supporters.

In HMS Bounty, Dews captures the moment of mutiny when Bligh is cast out in an overcrowded boat in the middle of the Pacific. With his deft eye for detail, the artist depicts the mutineers with their guns and swords raised on deck, while others toss the Tahitian tree saplings from the rear of the ship. Despite all imaginable odds, Bligh and his loyal crew survived their banishment, rowing almost 4,000 miles to Timor in the East Indies. The mutineers eventually reached Pitcairn Island in the South Pacific in 1790, and it is there where the HMS Bounty disappeared.

Overall, the work reveals Dews' ability to capture both the majesty of ships at sea and a compelling narrative. The artist has gained critical acclaim for his incredible maritime scenes. Born in Yorkshire in 1949, Dews learned his trade at the Hull Regional College of Art after being turned down as a candidate at numerous naval academies. He turned to art to express his love for the sea, eventually building a sizable enough portfolio to mount his first exhibition in 1976. An astounding success, nearly the entire collection was sold on opening night, and Dews received 17 new commissions. Ever since his blockbuster opening, Dews has enjoyed remarkable success and critical acclaim, earning numerous prestigious commissions and awards to this day as one of Britain’s most sought-after living artists.

Surfing Utah Lake

 

Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is in development !

Well, it would look as if Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is in the works, or early development at least. I started to see things pop up about it on Instagram a few days ago, buzz if you will. 

Now, of course it could be just rumors, all of our wishful thinking. But I will entertain the idea without a problem, I'm starving for another good pirate movie. The more the better.

Here are a few posts from Instagram I copied, along with some fan made posters below. Let's hope we get more official news later.

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OFFICIAL: It's confirmed that 'PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 6' is in development and apparently Disney has come to an agreement with actor Johnny Depp to return as Jack Sparrow and not only that, actor Bill Nighy would also return as Davy Jones.

The movie would be coming in 2028 and would also have names like Margot Robbie, Jenna Ortega & Kaya Scodelario.

Keira Knightley & Orlando Bloom could also be returning, but nothing is confirmed yet.

There are no plot details yet, but an important part of the story would focus on an undisclosed female character, who would be Jack Sparrow's daughter.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is officially in development, with producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirming that two distinct scripts one of which is a full reboot are currently competing in a horse race to lead the series forward. This high stakes revival is being shaped by screenwriter Craig Mazin, the acclaimed creator of The Last of Us.

The Price of Freedom

(from Amazon.com)

Twenty-five-year-old Jack Sparrow is a clean-cut merchant seaman pursuing a legitimate career as a first mate for the East India Trading Company. He sometimes thinks back to his boyhood pirating days, but he doesn’t miss Teague’s scrutiny or the constant threat of the noose. Besides, he doesn’t have much choice—he broke the Code when he freed a friend who had been accused of rogue piracy, and he can no longer show his face in Shipwreck Cove.

When Jack’s ship is attacked by pirates and his captain dies in the altercation, he suddenly finds himself in command. The wily sailor’s skillful negotiations with the pirate captain—who turns out to be a woman from his past—result in a favorable outcome that puts Jack in line for an official promotion.

After making port in Africa, Jack is summoned by Cutler Beckett, who makes him captain of a ship called the Wicked Wench. Beckett gives Jack an assignment. He has heard a legend about a magical island named Zerzura whose labyrinthine bowels are said to contain a glorious treasure. Beckett suspects that one of his house slaves, a girl named Ayisha, is from Zerzura. He asks Jack to take her along on his voyage and seduce her into divulging the island’s whereabouts. In payment for his services, Beckett promises Jack a share of the treasure.

But this task isn’t as easy as Jack initially believes. Before she agrees to reveal the location of her home, Ayisha insists that Jack take her to the New World to rescue her brother, who has been sold into slavery in the Bahamas. Their voyage is long and arduous, and as they weather a vicious storm and a surprise attack from an old pirate foe, Jack grows to respect and admire Ayisha’s bravery. He knows that Beckett intends to enslave her people after robbing them of their treasure, and Jack’s moral compass revolts at the idea. It might be possible to deliver Ayisha safely to Zerzura, obtain some of the treasure, and convince Beckett that he never found it . . . but the greedy E. I. T. C. official has eyes everywhere, and if he learns that Jack has foiled his plans, he could take away the thing that Captain Sparrow loves most: his ship—and his freedom.

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I didn't even know this book existed, how did I miss it?!

It came out in 2011, had I known I would have snatched me up a copy no problem. But now? Asking price for used copies on Ebay are around $400.00! Are they crazy?

Anyway, you can get it of course on Kindle or Nook for only a couple of dollars. I might just have to do that although I despise trying to read things on Kindle or Nook. Ugh....

Key West Shipwreck Treasures Museum

(from keywestshipwreck)

Key West Shipwreck History

During the golden age of sail, over 100 ships per day passed by Key West. The waters they were sailing were well known as some of the most treacherous in the world. On average, at least one ship per week would wreck somewhere along the Florida Reef.

About the Observation Tower

The brave wreckers would watch the reef night and day from observation towers (some over 90′ high). They would also patrol the reef in their own small vessels. When a wreck was spotted, the cry of “Wreck Ashore” would echo all over the island as men scrambled to the docks to join the race to the reef. The first man to reach the wreck became the “wrecking master” who controlled the salvage operation and got a larger share of the prize. The goods salvaged from the wreck would later be sold at auction in Key West with the wrecking courts awarding anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of the profit to the wreckers, depending on how dangerous and time-consuming the salvage operation had been.

End of the Wrecking Era

Eventually, with the onset of railroads, and improvements in navigational aids, shipwrecks came fewer and farther between. In 1921, the wrecking courts were closed, ending an era that had made Key West one of the richest cities in America. Today, you can relive the era of the wreckers at our historical Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum.

The Isaac Allerton

The ship was 137 feet long and weighed 594 tons. The Isaac Allerton spent her years as a merchant ship carrying cargoes throughout the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic Ocean. On the night of August 28, 1856, the Isaac Allerton was caught in a hurricane off Saddlebunch Keys, 15 miles ESE of Key West.

She road anchor for several hours before the lines were cut and she ground over Washer Woman Shoals, lost her rudder and sank in Hawks Channel in five fathoms of water. The crew and passengers spent the night in longboats and were rescued the following morning by Key West wreckers led by George Alderslade. Because the ship had sunk in such deep water, the Key West wreckers were unable to salvage all the cargo. But the cargo they did salvage resulted in a payoff of over $50,000 making the Isaac Allerton the richest wreck in KEY WEST HISTORY. Over 130 years later, in 1985, the wreck of the Isaac Allerton was rediscovered by a group of local divers who had been searching for the celebrated Atocha wreck. Today you can relive the days of the Isaac Allerton and see the original cargo from the ship at our The Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum.